July 4, 2015
Dear Mr. Bezos,
Greetings!
The United States is a country unlike any other. Our founding fathers not only recognized that every human being has inalienable rights to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, but also created a system enabling citizens to fully enjoy their rights. These foundations have instilled in our people an optimistic attitude, tolerance towards and appreciation of other cultures, the initiative to excel in life, and a sense of generosity towards the less fortunate. Akin to most Americans, I also feel a sense of pride to be an American and grateful that this exceptional country is my home.
While the ideals that helped America reach such a privileged status are still secure, and there seem to be no imminent threats to our economy or our continued prosperity, certain pillars on which the nation’s foundation rests need to be reinforced even further. One area that needs considerable improvement is our educational system, which has failed to accelerate the literacy level and the core competencies of our populace.
For America to maintain its competitive edge in the centuries to come, it is imperative that the literacy level of Americans is improved. Amazon.com is best situated to do so by helping Americans increase their Intelligence Quotient and Emotional Intelligence even further. Thus, I earnestly request you to consider this appeal. Though the prime motivation to embark on such an endeavor would be for the betterment of humanity, it can also be a highly feasible business venture.
Kindly allow with me to elaborate….
1. The Limitations with our Educational System
Even though our institutes of higher learning are acclaimed worldwide, the literacy rate of America is at the bottom quartile among all developed nations. Our educational system does an outstanding job of imparting formal knowledge to students but they fail to impart the skills necessary to apply the knowledge; college graduates may have a higher level of intelligence, but they may not necessarily be wiser than their less educated colleagues; and while they may learn interpersonal skills, they seem to lack the confidence to interact with people! While it is true that the United States is the world leader at innovating new technologies, most innovators are foreign trained; while the United States is home to the largest number of living noble laureates, the majority of such laureates are foreign born and spent their formative years outside the United States; and even though the United States boasts of the highest national net worth, in the absence of valid data, I assume the majority of the wealth is concentrated in the hands of first and second generation immigrants. On average, America’s indigenous population, woefully, seems to be inadequately prepared to compete globally at the academic level.
2. One Possible Solution
One solution to increasing the literacy level of the people would be by enhancing their core competencies. We need schools or training organizations to supplement the education provided by formal institutions. People need to become better decision makers, have the right attitude, be emboldened to take calculated risks, and develop a mindset that will propel them to accomplish more. In recent years, several books have been published, the teachings of which, if inculcated by us can be very transformational. To provide a couple of examples, in “Thinking Fast and Slow,” Daniel Kahneman shares with us the results of psychological discoveries made by him and his colleague Amos Tversky, identifying how our inherent biases cloud our judgement and decision making. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, based on his research teaches us that
“our best moments [in life] usually occur when our body and mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.”
A lot of wisdom is contained in the research of these and several other scholars. It is quite likely that thousands, if not millions, have read these books but probably only a very small miniscule truly embrace the teachings. It would not be fair to fault the readers for this lapse. Bringing about a change in our habits is among the hardest thing to do and a reading or two of good books rarely has a lasting effect. Akin to listening to a motivational talk, for a few days and weeks we may feel elated but the effect soon withers and we go back to our previous selves. For lasting change to take place, our brains need to be trained for months, if not years, and only then there could be any meaningful change in our habits. The instructional schools I envision would do exactly that – have training programs that would help inculcate better habits by training participants for several weeks or months until the newly learned behavior replaces the earlier one.
3. Benefits
The benefits of the envisaged training institutes would accrue to everyone associated with the institutes. Amazon.com would be the single largest beneficiary should it decide to undertake the proposed venture.
(a) Authors: The authors whose books are selected for developing the course curriculum would benefit because their books would sell more. Spurred by increased sales, authors would be motivated to write even more books, which would mean more books for Amazon.com to sell. As an example, Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends & Influence People” was first published in 1936 but continues to be a best seller even after 79 years. I would attribute two reasons for this. First, the book certainly contains timeless advice which resonates with people even today. What also helps is that the training arm of the Dale Carnegie organization has a presence in all major US cities and several foreign countries, conducting training programs based on his work, keeping sales of his books buoyant.
(b) Trainees or Students: If the institute is successful in helping even a modicum of the students become more motivated and prepares them to confront challenges confidently, very likely their earnings will increase. This would imply more disposable income, a portion of which is likely to be spent towards discretionary purchases at major retailers like Amazon.com. With the increase in the intelligence of the general population, society will also experience positive effects, such as reduced crime, harmonious interpersonal relationships, a more productive workforce, and people will feel a sense of general well-being.
(c) Amazon.com: In the process of doing good for the society, Amazon.com is also likely to benefit handsomely from the tuition from the training programs. Education is a $1.3 trillion dollar business in the US alone. If the training programs gross a mere 1% of this amount, the company stands to add gross revenues of 13 billion dollars a year for several years!
I hope this proposal appeals to you and triggers your interest positively. Rarely does an opportunity comes across which not only makes an excellent business but also has the potential to build the nation concurrently. Undoubtedly, America needs a training organization of this nature to retain its eminent position for centuries to come. And, in my opinion, Amazon.com is best suited to make this a reality but I also realize the company may have other priorities and despite keen interest, may be unable to undertake this venture. I can only hope that this venture takes a high priority!
Thanking you, I remain
Respectfully,
Sushil Rungta