David Mayne said:
| At least in the US, consumption of specific products and convenience services
| appears to be a more compelling economic force than intangible lessons
| and advice on living. I would guess that very few have been able to make
| a reasonable living trying to improve the lives of others without some
| form of concrete marketing materials.

Jo sez:
The role of any dedicated educator is to make himself obsolete as soon as
possible. That is, to force sufficient awareness on his students so that
his charges can then intelligently assess future unknowns. The students'
independence is paramount, and once attained, the educator must then step
aside and wave goodbye.

But both sides must seek the same results: independent thought / creative
solutions.

The English language industry in Japan represents a reverse model. It is a
brilliant, commercial enterprise in which the students, not expecting any
more than rote memory drills from their public school experiences, keep
returning to the same classes month after month and find themselves not
gaining reasonable proficiency in the target language. For the schools,
this is a desireable, steady source of revenue; they are not motivated to
step back and truly embrace efficient approaches to second language
acquisition. Helping students to gain proficiency (independence) in the
language is akin to cutting their own throats. Though some educators are
wretched hacks, most are only meeting the limited demands of students who
have had ingrained into their skulls that learning is only a regurgitation
of facts.

Closer to our discussion, most societies hammer home that incessant message
to submit our choices and decisions to authority figures. We learn at a
young age that medical professionals with credentials are THE guardians of
public health. That pills and vaccines and other modalities offer the most
expedient cure or relief for our aches and pains. That we can repeatedly
consult our family physician and she'll make everything hunky dory.

When advised by a health counselor to incorporate the agents of vitality
(including a change in diet), it isn't surprising, then, that a Twinkie
addict easily deflects such an approach to health reform and instead
clamours for a bottle of magic pills to provide immediate relief for his
ulcers. So it's not too much of a stretch to realize the attraction of an
MLM enterprise, especially if one personally believes in the efficacy of
Super Blue Green Algae or Barleygreen, etc. It is something tangible that
may compell the consumer/client to implement the intangibles.

It seems that the public is largely satisfied with the current system of
dietetics/healthcare (aside from cost). People aren't willing to accept
responsibility. They aren't willing to strive for health independence.
Until then, they are going to want that prescription filled out before they
leave the doctor's office. I'd like to be optimistic about a public
awakening, however. I mean, for list members who are counselors/educators
of health and nutrition, the potential market will be HUGE should the
public mindset shift drastically towards the educational dynamics alluded
to above.