As young people, we are often told that STEM is success. And while the world is always in need of doctors, engineers, biologists, and other professionals in mathematical and scientific disciplines, humanities are becoming dangerously undervalued. When a young child wants to become an artist, dancer, writer, or musician, they are encouraged to develop those passions with the expectation that they will shed such childish pursuits in favor of something more practical later in life. When a teen says the same thing, they are too often told that humanities disciplines are “too risky” and will not make them enough money when they enter the professional world.
Money does not necessarily equate to success, and vice versa. While making a living wage is important, is one’s contribution to the world not also important? And could that contribution not be something artistic? If the only barometer of success is through a STEM-oriented lens, we lose the idea that art is a life’s work. That it is something useful and that it is something to be cherished as a hallmark of being human.
To those who believe that humanities are useless: Where do the movies come from that you like to watch? The music? The art hanging on your walls? The food at the restaurants you go to? The architecture of homes and buildings you admire? The books you like to read? The magazines you buy? They come from artists. If we eradicate the appreciation of art among our youth, we lose the things that make us human.
The humanities are the study of humans. The study of the things that make humans so uniquely kind, brave, empathetic, emotional, and courageous. The arts are human connection, something that AI cannot yet replace. When our society focuses on STEM above all else, we ignore a collection of disciplines that are incredibly valuable to the functioning of our society.
When people say that art is “just a hobby,” the very things that make us human are trivialized. It is just as human to create as it is to analyze. Why can we not do both? We can study the disciplines that are considered lucrative while creating something of our own to add to those disciplines, and in doing so we can respect those who have chosen to dedicate their life to creating. When we combine the act of creating with the act of learning, we intrinsically become better, more well-rounded individuals who can appreciate the diversity of interests within our society.
