First thought: about education. Somebody asked me if I really am cruel to my students and if my attitude is what makes them be depressed. An unfair question, in my opinion. It's not one question you see.

I am NOT cruel to my students. I don't ask them to do anything unreasonable, and I don't fail them on a whim. They sign up with me to learn chemistry, and by Heaven, I expect them to learn CHEMISTRY in my class. I give large amounts of homework, mostly in the form of "drill." If you don't do a thing again and again and again, you don't get good at it. I had to "drill" quite a bit to get the knack of giving good lectures, but I flatter myself that I do a fairly good job at it these days. If they want to learn how the Ideal Gas Law (PV = nRT) works, or exactly what enthalpy as a state function means, then they are going to have to work with it again and again and again. Then, they are going to have to learn how to do it right in the lab, when I ask them to transmute one substance into another. This is harsh, I know, but it is not unfair, nor capricious, nor cruel. Some day, a person's life or livelihood might hinge upon them understanding that sodium hydroxide is the same thing as lye, and that they can make soap out of it and some nice pork fat.

Does my attitude cause depression? Most of my students have ADHD. In fact, I think most people do. Medication just seems to suppress their talent, without curing the problem. The one thing that really helps is to keep people busy, so that they don't have time to get bored. And yes, they suffer depression at first, then exhiliration afterwards when they achieve the impossible. That's a very nice moment, when you realize that you have just done something that certainly could not have been done. Depression comes and goes, but it is followed by the highest pitch of excitement and joy. And my attitude has absolutely nothing to do with it, I think. Oh, and ADHD isn't exactly a "problem," but rather a potential to do some really impressive stuff.

It's a moral task, being a teacher. You are asked by God to help people become as excellent as you can. I rather like my job. :)