The skill school never taught you (but should have)

We spent years learning separate subjects, but never how to connect them.

In school, we learn math.

Chemistry.

History.

Literature.

Psychology.

And several more distinct, discrete subjects.

And we said things like, “Why am I learning this?”

One very real response to this (one that I was unfortunately never told, by the way) is hey, look, I get it… it doesn’t feel like you will ever use this. And the truth is, you might not. But that frustration you’re feeling, that “I don’t get this, I hate this, FUCK! This is hard!” is literally what it feels like to learn something new.

It’s your brain physically changing!

It is supposed to be hard!

It’s all going according to plan!

So basically: you’re learning how to learn. And that’s fucking invaluable.

But there’s another concept that’s even more invaluable. And I think we should be teaching an entire class on it:

INTEGRATION.

INTEGRATION is a class that you go to at the end of the day that connects the dots between the subjects so you can understand, at a more foundational level, why the things you’re learning matter.

A 7th grader might think, "The world is really messed up! In history class, I learned how civilizations keep collapsing over and over. We keep making the same mistakes and it's driving me crazy why we don't change!"

But in psychology class, that same 7th-grader learns about cognitive biases and how humans rationalize their own behavior. In literature, they read about tragic heroes who can't escape their fatal flaws. In biology, they study how organisms repeat patterns that worked before, even when environments are radically different.

But what if we connected these dots in INTEGRATION? History repeats itself because humans have predictable psychological patterns. Literature captures these patterns in narrative form. Biology shows us how evolution actually leans into pattern dependence.

Suddenly, school isn't just about memorizing dates or character names—it's about understanding the fundamental rhythms that shape everything from cells to civilizations to the arguments this kid has with his mom.

Suddenly, understanding how IDEAS connect doesn’t just make learning more interesting—it makes the WORLD feel more connected, more alive (and in a world this divided, that doesn’t seem like such a bad idea).

Suddenly, it’s less “Why am I learning this?” but more “I wonder how this will connect with what I already know, or what I might learn later?”

Suddenly, we’re less frustrated and more curious.

Suddenly, we’re integrated.