Hannes Chopra, the author of the life navigation course «Boundless Human Becoming», on the modern education model, the coronavirus, and the ultimate question of life
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Hannes Shariputra Chopra is the CEO of RaSa Future Fund and a former top executive at Allianz. He is the author of the life navigation course «Boundless Human Becoming» at Harbour Space, Barcelona.
Fluent in multiple languages, including German, English, Spanish, French, Punjabi, and Hindi, he has a passion for literature and contemporary European and classical Indian music. He has recorded two albums, which are available on iTunes.
In an interview for Huxley, Hannes Chopra shared his insights on the modern education model, the coronavirus, and the ultimate question of life.
You have a rather critical view of the modern education model. Can you explain what it lacks?
I believe that schools and universities lag significantly behind what the world requires today.
We need to rethink education and move away from teaching what is «right» and «wrong». Moreover, we should abandon knowledge assessments through exams, which create artificial competition among students
Education should be based on experiential learning, strengthening people’s decision-making abilities and shaping their inner core.
What the education system provides is not enough for this world. When you graduate from school or university, despite having a diploma, you know nothing about life and lack the essential skills for successful self-realization. After all, you have yet to answer the fundamental questions of life: «Who am I?» and «What is life?» This needs to change.
Since the Industrial Revolution, educational institutions have largely become factories for producing a future workforce. No one cares about your personal development.
The goal of this system is not to make you the happiest and most successful person but to prepare you for survival.
Could you recommend a good alternative to the traditional education path?
The university where I have the honor of teaching is called Harbour Space, located in Barcelona. One of the courses I teach focuses on life navigation. It is called «Boundless Human Becoming». There is also an educational institution near Mumbai, India — the Vedanta Academy. Through liberal education, it nurtures a spirit of inquiry in young minds.
More and more traditional universities, such as Columbia and Stanford, are offering courses on how to live a meaningful life. The demand for this will only grow over time, and I have high hopes. However, we must understand that educational systems are among the hardest to change. It will require some patience.
Most business professors in schools and universities have no experience in building their own companies. In recent years, training programs led by entrepreneurs have gained popularity. How valuable are such programs?
The beauty of our time is that all knowledge is at our fingertips. If you want to learn something, you can find everything on the internet. The choice is yours. I am absolutely convinced that the education system urgently needs to change and become more practical.
As for successful entrepreneurs, I have great respect for those who reach the top in business. But we need to ask ourselves: what kind of role model are we truly striving for? And we must set our priorities wisely.
Being the founder of a large company is great. Do I consider it the ultimate role model? I’m not so sure because the true task of a person is to live a high-quality life in all aspects.
How much am I really improving the world? Creating wealth for oneself does not fulfill this mission. The way we work, our approaches, and our values should become an increasing priority. This is more important than simply focusing on a company’s revenue and profit.
It is well known that success in the world does not always go hand in hand with happiness. Many celebrities are unhappy. What do people who have everything one could dream of still lack in order to be truly happy?
Clayton Christensen, a professor at Harvard Business School, wrote a book called «How Will You Measure Your Life?» which I highly recommend. There is also a TED Talk on YouTube on this topic.
A study was once conducted with elderly people on their deathbeds, asking them: «What do you regret?» Interestingly, no one mentioned that they wished they had worked harder, owned another car, bought another house, or gained more fame. Their answers mostly revolved around helping others — they wished they had been kinder to people. Many also said they should have lived a richer, more fulfilling life.
This is especially important for young people, as the pressure on them is much greater.
The key question to ask is: «What will truly matter to you at the end of your life?»
Put yourself in the place of someone who has reached the end of their life and look back. This is an excellent tool that I recommend for anyone who wants to consciously define their life’s purpose. Ask yourself this question as early as possible.
And remember, when you die, nothing remains at the level of the body and mind. We came into this world with nothing, and we will leave with nothing. The apartment you bought and your 25 cars — none of them hold any value when we go. So, what will truly matter at the end of the journey?
I have realized that life has three fundamental characteristics that we must not forget. Life is imperfect, unfinished, and impermanent. From a young age, we are taught a false belief that completeness, permanence, and perfection exist. But this is not true
I must move from one stage to another, enjoy the process, and be fully myself along the way. If you do this, you have already achieved a great deal. This is what the philosophy of Vedanta teaches.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has overshadowed the issue of the coronavirus. Almost no quarantine measures remain worldwide, and many have already forgotten about this threat. Can we say that the pandemic is finally over?
A very important lesson — which I fear we have yet to learn — is that a seemingly insignificant problem somewhere in the world can affect absolutely everyone. To me, the coronavirus became a metaphor for the profound and dramatic changes happening in our lives. We are truly living in a time of transformation.
The coronavirus, the invasion of Ukraine — all these tragedies are signals of the rapidly accelerating pace of change. In short, my answer is no. The coronavirus has not disappeared; nature cannot be outsmarted. Call it whatever you like — COVID-19, Delta, Omicron, and so on.
Humanity will always face crises like this, no matter what form they take.
The whole world is one family, and whatever happens to you will affect me, no matter where I am. The coronavirus has become a symbol of this reality.
There is a lot of debate about vaccines. Was COVID-19 vaccination really necessary?
I trust science, which is why I got vaccinated against COVID-19. When I was born, all children were given vaccines against various diseases. No one asked for my opinion — it was a widely accepted norm and nothing entirely new. However, not enough attention is given to the fact that we need to strengthen our immune system. And that, perhaps, is even more important than vaccination.
Hippocrates said, «We are what we eat». If you want to strengthen your immune system, the first thing to focus on is your diet. If I were to pour Coca-Cola into my car’s fuel tank, you would ask me, «Are you out of your mind?»
Yet, this is exactly what we do to our bodies. We consume foods with zero nutritional value, and some even cause harm. Everyone knows this, yet very few seriously monitor their diet. So how can we expect to have good health under these conditions? This is why vaccination should not be the top priority.
Around the world, there have been many protests against vaccination and quarantine restrictions. Why have opinions on this topic become so deeply divided?
First, it is remarkable that people are capable of forming their own perspectives and drawing personal conclusions. Human beings have the ability to reason, and we should use it while also respecting the opinions of others. Second, how you use your intellect is entirely your choice.
A major problem with autocratic governments is that they refuse to acknowledge this fundamental fact of life. Everyone has the freedom to decide what to do with their body, what literature to read, what opinions to form, and so on. But with freedom comes responsibility. And I believe that, as a society, we value our freedom yet often neglect the responsibility that comes with it.
It is important to recognize that these are two sides of the same coin. The question is: how far are you willing to look beyond yourself? Do you exercise your freedom solely in your own interest, or do you also consider how your actions affect others? Each person must make that decision for themselves. But let’s be honest: the issue does not begin with vaccination.
We talk about vaccination, yet more than 50% of the U.S. population suffers from obesity. We are discussing people who have misused their free will in something as basic as food. Have you ever seen an overweight giraffe? Have you ever seen an overweight dog? A dog will only become obese if humans overfeed it!
We have been given the ability to reason, yet we use it to our own detriment. As a result, everyone in society pays the price. This does not begin with vaccination, nor does it end with it.
There is a deeper social issue: we want to be free, but we do not want to take responsibility.
Interview by Leonid Shokh
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Video recording of the interview in English:
