Statement by Christopher Balchin, Social Studies Teacher

As to the lie about higher education, Mr. Balchin writes: The idea that Aesthetic Realism discourages a person from furthering their education is ludicrous. I graduated with a BA in philosophy, politics and economics from Brasenose College, Oxford. I’ve taken approximately 24 college courses since I began studying Aesthetic Realism. In fact, while I was having Aesthetic Realism consultations, my consultants encouraged me to study Spanish, because many of the students I teach speak this language at home and having more knowledge of it could make me a more effective teacher!

I don’t know anything that encourages a person’s mind more than Aesthetic Realism. It encourages you to see everything more accurately. That’s what it’s done for me, and I already had what most people would call a pretty good education—and Aesthetic Realism has encouraged me to value that education truly, the way I always should have. I’m more grateful NOW for what I learned at Cranbrook School and Oxford University than I ever used to be. And since I began my study of Aesthetic Realism I received a master’s degree from the City University of New York (City College).

As to other statements by Adam Mali. Adam Mali’s characterization of Aesthetic Realism, the Aesthetic Realism Foundation, and people who teach or take courses there, is bizarre. I’m not even going to dignify his foolish statements about vacations, leisure time and suchlike. He says “individualism is definitely discouraged.” I don’t know what planet he was on, to say this. He’s like a child who had the opportunity to study with Liszt and then complains years later, “I would surely have been a great pianist if Herr Franz hadn’t discouraged all my attempts to learn the piano!” The way he writes takes Aesthetic Realism out of the real world into some weird nightmare realm where he looks noble and hurt, and it’s just not true.

I particularly object to the way he writes about Ellen Reiss, the Class Chairman of Aesthetic Realism, who is my teacher in both the Aesthetic Realism Explanation of Poetry class and the professional classes where I am learning how to teach Aesthetic Realism. One of the reasons I respect Ms. Reiss very much is that she always wants you to be fair to, thoughtful about, interested in other people—as she is—whether they study Aesthetic Realism or not, whether they are in New York or Japan, whether they are someone you never met or your own mother. I see this firsthand in every class I go to. It’s her purpose in every class and it’s beautiful. She also happens to be (and you’d never have an inkling of this from his spleen) the funniest person I’ve ever met, and her humour is the kind where you laugh and feel clean. She certainly doesn’t tell me what to do; she teaches me how to see things and people in a way I am increasingly proud of—which is what she does for everyone. Because of what I’ve learned from her (and from other teachers and colleagues), I’m a kinder son, a better husband, a better friend, a better teacher, a more integrated person, a better union delegate, a better citizen, have a sharper mind, a sweeter disposition, a warmer heart, and I could say much, much more.