Micah Siegel is the youngest guest ever to appear on my podcast. As I type this, he is 12 years old.
Deciding that mainstream education—both private and public—sucks, he chose a unique path for his learning: he left school because it’s a waste of time. Public schooling is mostly just state propaganda.
Excellent decision.
With a passion for animals, he launched the podcast Nature’s Guardians in May 2023, sharing stories of people saving and helping animals worldwide.
In terms of a quick introduction, watch the following short video from his YouTube channel.
In September 2023, Micah received a USD 10,000 grant and plans to use the funds for a trip to South Africa and Botswana in 2024 with his dad and brother to film documentaries on animal conservation.
As a South African, I’m thrilled to hear that!
South Africa has the Kruger National Park and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, two of the most beautiful places in the world. My wife and I regularly camp in both. Kgalagadi is less ‘tourist-friendly’ and not really for rookies due to it being part of the Kalahari Desert.
My country has little to offer, but we do have the best wildlife in the world.
Micah’s first major project outside traditional education is his State of the Animals 2024 report.
Background
He's been to the Galapagos Islands, the Amazon rainforest, the Canary Islands, Switzerland, London, Amsterdam and the Bahamas. He's also been river rafting on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho and done two other daylong rafting trips.
The point is that he loves being in nature. (By the way, check out my podcast with a suicidal British soldier whose life was saved by the Amazon jungle.)
According to Micah’s website, after reading Jordan Peterson’s Twelve Rules for Life, he was inspired to do more than just go to school and get grades. I read the book a few years ago and enjoyed it.
And before you laugh it off, I think Micah is making a profound point.
What’s the point of school?
He’s right about school being pointless. I had a bunch of subjects for over a decade, most of which have served pretty much no purpose in my post-school life. It’s like the curriculum is a handful of darts thrown at a dartboard to see which ones stick, let alone stick near the bullseye.
Just think about it.
What exactly is the purpose of spending 12 years in school? You finish with the skills to become a waiter in a restaurant.
That’s it.
No life skills. No lessons in geopolitics or economics. No discussions on different systems of governance. No insights into banking or investments.
Just pi and the lyrics to the national anthem.
I’ve never used 3.14 and I have never cared about the country’s propaganda hymn.
Not only is the entire schooling system outdated, but it is also an indoctrination camp, as noted by Alex Newman in his incredible conversation with me.
Anyway, because Micah is quite young, his dad sat just out of view to help him when he got nervous from time to time.
“[Micah’s] book is a phenomenal effort. Every page is full of facts and fabulous information, most of which I had no idea about.”
—Peter Ridd, chairman, Australian Environment Foundation
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