I recently became aware of Kurt Hahn whilst watching a documentary on Prince Phillip [1]. Hahn was Prince Phillip's headmaster/mentor, and founder of the boarding school attended by the Prince.<p>I'm not sure if Hahn published these points all at once, or if they were collected over his life. Either way, they seem extremely relevant to modern times.<p>> 1. Decline of Fitness due to modern methods of locomotion;<p>> 2. Decline of Initiative and Enterprise due to the widespread disease of spectatoritis (i.e. "excessive indulgence in forms of amusement in which one is a passive spectator rather than an active participant");<p>> 3. Decline of Memory and Imagination due to the confused restlessness of modern life;<p>> 4. Decline of Skill and Care due to the weakened tradition of craftsmanship;<p>> 5. Decline of Self-discipline due to the ever-present availability of stimulants and tranquillisers;<p>> 6. Decline of Compassion due to the unseemly haste with which modern life is conducted or, as William Temple called it, "spiritual death".<p>I can relate to just about all of these, either personally, or having read modern examples during bouts of spectatoritis.<p>Fortunately Hahn proposes 4 solutions. I'm interested to get your thoughts on these.<p>> 1. Fitness Training (e.g., to compete with oneself in physical fitness; in so doing, train the discipline and determination of the mind through the body);<p>> 2. Expeditions (e.g., via sea or land, to engage in long, challenging endurance tasks);<p>> 3. Projects (e.g., involving crafts and manual skills);<p>> 4. Rescue Service (e.g., surf lifesaving, fire fighting, first aid).<p>[1] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNUACmwtQwU">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNUACmwtQwU</a>