About

A well written story can alter human emotions, provoke deep thought, and connect to distant memories. Stories contain the capacity to fundamentally alter not only history, but the way in which individuals and society view the world. The right word combinations at the right moment in time hold the potential to shift perceptions of reality itself. 

In 2011 Brett Pike graduated from Cortland University with a Bachelor’s degree in History Education. On the surface there appeared to be nothing special about him. Like most young men he spent his college years in a state of extended adolescence, wasting his potential drinking alcohol and chasing girls.  In what way does the age a person reaches maturity impact who they will ultimately become?  After college he secured a Job in the field of education.  It didn’t take long to discover that 16 years of schooling and over $100,000 had directed him toward a debtor’s life of repetitive labor.  How is it that parents work from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Monday-Friday, for 50 years like hamsters on a wheel and advise their children to follow suit.   People are truly creatures of habit.  Many people go to school, but few people are educated.  School is defined by compulsion.  A prison like social experiment wielding ever decreasing results.  A system that produces more debt and lower paying jobs.  Education is the self-pursuit of knowledge,  the inner desire to understand and conquer ones world.  Education happens on the intellectual, physical, and spiritual level.

Brett never took to school, but adorned a child like love for history.   A passion for the topic powered his curiosity like coal to a steam engine.  The process of education followed naturally.  All the while he continued his schooling.  In 2015 Brett graduated with a Masters Degree in Special Education from Queens College.  It is shocking for a person to realize the minuscule value of a degree when compared against anything other than salary.  Brett entered his mid-twenties having achieved a high level of schooling, a six-figure job, and seemingly everything society expected.  Yet, something was missing.  How is it that school could elevate if it does not educate?  People’s self-esteem connected to something as superficial as the word “degree.”     What if someone just hit delete?  

A mechanic can fix a car, an electrician can power the lights, and a mathematician can solve a problem.   True value cannot be altered by a certificate of graduation.  Brett followed his love for history.  He began to read the works of great thinkers like John Taylor Gatto.  He discovered the origins of modern schooling.  It wasn’t long before Brett had developed his own unique theory of education derived from the combined works of transcendent thinkers like Gatto, Aristotle, and Plato. 

While in the process of self-discovery, Brett was fortunate enough to meet Nicole, the love of his life.  Within 8 months they were engaged and 18 months married.  They were blessed with a beautiful baby boy.  Brett will tell you homeschool started the moment Brady opened his eyes.    Having a passion for education, Brett decided to share his philosophy and experience with the world.   He started Classical Learner, a small homeschool consulting business.  Working one on one with parents has been a true joy.   

Brett’s combination of schooling, education, and life journey has facilitated the development of a unique skill set.   His schooling taught the skills of reading, writing, and research.  Historians view the world through a unique perspective created by the experience of working with primary documents.  Brett took a particular interest in the study of propaganda.  He read the works of pioneers such as Edward Bernays.  It is fascinating to reveal the mechanisms in which special interest forces shift the public mind.  Imagine you were Jennifer, a 20 year old girl in the 1920’s.  You enjoyed cigarettes but would not dare risk the shaming of smoking in public.   Any girl seen puffing nicotine quickly developed a reputation.  In steps Edward Bernays.  The next day Jennifer opened the newspaper and read an article about “torches of freedom.”  Smoking in public was taboo, it was rebellious.  Smoking in public was feminism.   As you could imagine there was a good chance Jennifer would be seen lighting up in public that night.  The right words can penetrate a mind like Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie inception. 

Brett followed his interests and continued his education.  He studied propaganda, and the mechanisms of rhetoric and persuasion.   The study of propaganda is the study of human psychology.  He learned that the right words backed by authority and reinforced by social proof contain the ability to shift realities.  Books such as Pre-suasion introduced him to the power of word associations.  You call it the Department of Defense, but your grandfather called it the Department of War.   

Brett’s skill set assisted in the development of his business Classical Learner.   He became familiar with the power of connections, marketing, sales, and costumer service.  Convincing a homeschooling mother to trust you with the education of her child is no small task.  The sum of Brett’s experiences led to the development of the following skill set:

• Reading Comprehension. 
• Research.
• Writing.
• Copywriting.
• Persuasion. 
• Rhetoric.
• Pre-suasion.
• Public Relations; which interestingly enough is the word propagandists used to replace “propaganda” following WWI.
• Marketing.
• Sales.

Earlier I asked you the way in which the age a person reaches maturity impacts who they ultimately become?   I know for me, my personal journey, which I described above, couldn’t have happened any other way.   I hope I am one day part of your story.  Maybe I could be the one to write it.