Education?

[DarkShadow]

Would a werewolf need schooling? Maybe not for the same things as humans, but for proper hunting techniques and things like that?
Or would it just come naturally?

[ravaged_warrior]

It should be instinctual, really.

[FoxOfWar]

Should be instinctual, yes, but I suppose some individuals would need a bit teaching. Especially if he/she is a 'bitten' one instead of naturally born.

[JoshuaMadoc]

I feel that a grown werewolf should get polytechnical education for a span of about 5-10 years every 20-100 years, with whichever class level they can choose. One reason is that textbooks are constantly evolving with each printed edition, so it would be a terrible joke to just leave their education not up-to-date. Another reason is that i see it as a great insult to just put bicentennial werewolves in an urban setting with no modern knowledge without any reason whatsoever, leaving them with a chance that they'll end up as tarzans or bogans masquerading as humans. That's like putting a cro-magnon in a quantum physics lab.

As for instinct school.......... I'd base it on the jutsu schools in Naruto. Maybe print books for the pups to read about the skill that's about to be demonstrated, and then try to learn from their teachers. With the teachers suggesting the students to keep training as homework, at the end of each week, each student would show their progress in the class. Then, at the end of the month, they would have to try and impress the teachers with the end result of their progress on that specific skill. After each student is done, they get their exam results. The end-of-term/end-of-semester/end-of-year exam wouldn't be a bad idea as well.


BEAT THAT, UNCLE REDEYE. And Scott.

[Rhuen]

The need to kill and eat is instinct.

However the techniques and methods used by wolves, as well as all other mamalian carnivores are taught to the young by the parents, otherwise all they know is chase and bite.

[Terastas]

I feel that a grown werewolf should get polytechnical education for a span of about 5-10 years every 20-100 years, with whichever class level they can choose. One reason is that textbooks are constantly evolving with each printed edition, so it would be a terrible joke to just leave their education not up-to-date. Another reason is that i see it as a great insult to just put bicentennial werewolves in an urban setting with no modern knowledge without any reason whatsoever, leaving them with a chance that they'll end up as tarzans or bogans masquerading as humans. That's like putting a cro-magnon in a quantum physics lab.

If werewolves did have that kind of longevity (and I believe they could if those crazy Christians would stop trying to kill them), a werewolf would definitely need to renew his education from time to time. Nobody would ever believe someone could be 100 years old and still look so young, so a werewolf at that age would need to reset their identity once every 50-or-so years and get an education that would match their current age.

I think they would pursue higher educations, especially any that could benefit the pack overall. We've had discussions in the past about specific occupations that a pack might want one of their own involved in. If a werewolf was unfortunate enough to wind up in the hospital, or worse, the mortuary, for example, someone with a degree in medicine could suffice to retrieve them before any of the "normies" find out something they shouldn't.

As for hunting etc., I don't think that would be passed down from generation to generation. In fact, in today's modern society, I think it would be highly discouraged. The pack would, however, require some kind of system to keep their numbers in check and their existence kept a secret. I think part of it would include some kind of "trainee" period where they would be chaperoned, so to speak, and given some understanding of what will be expected of them and why. Part of that might include the basic motor functions and senses involved with being a werewolf, but I seriously doubt they would teach a werewolf anything more than how to run really fast (they could teach them to fight, but a bloody mess screams "werewolf" more than some random crazy person does, so I think hunting and fighting would be highly discouraged).

[RedEye]

Considering that Wolves have to teach their cubs to hunt, I go for education.
For the born Wulf, there is always form control, how to spot Hunters, how not to get outed, and the history of their particular pack.
(Obviously I don't really see the lone werewolf as overly viable)
For the Crossed Wulf, all of the above; plus: how not to set yourself on fire (Fur covered, y'know), how to walk on your new digitigrade feet, what foods to avoid, how to treat fleas and other pests, and what to do with your tail.
There would probably be a whole host of words and handsigns for identification, pack manners, and for the guys: how to deal with your sheath...
All in all, since everyday life is an education (unless you're brain dead), I'd say: LOTS!

[Kelpten]

Wow, Redeye! I almost didn't recognize you with that new avatar.

Ya, in the book Never Cry Wolf the pups were taught by their parents how to hunt. Yes it's instinctive, but they still have to learn the finer points. And if a werewolf were also a scientist, think how excited you'd be! An untapped field contained within your own body, ripe for experementation and further understanding! Just how do you shapeshift and why is the moon the trigger? Of course it would be a real bummer not being able to present any of your findings (no nobel prize ) But otherwise a werewolf would be a biologist's dream subject!

[RedEye]

I feel that a grown werewolf should get polytechnical education for a span of about 5-10 years every 20-100 years, with whichever class level they can choose. One reason is that textbooks are constantly evolving with each printed edition, so it would be a terrible joke to just leave their education not up-to-date. Another reason is that i see it as a great insult to just put bicentennial werewolves in an urban setting with no modern knowledge without any reason whatsoever, leaving them with a chance that they'll end up as tarzans or bogans masquerading as humans. That's like putting a cro-magnon in a quantum physics lab.

As for instinct school.......... I'd base it on the jutsu schools in Naruto. Maybe print books for the pups to read about the skill that's about to be demonstrated, and then try to learn from their teachers. With the teachers suggesting the students to keep training as homework, at the end of each week, each student would show their progress in the class. Then, at the end of the month, they would have to try and impress the teachers with the end result of their progress on that specific skill. After each student is done, they get their exam results. The end-of-term/end-of-semester/end-of-year exam wouldn't be a bad idea as well.


BEAT THAT, UNCLE REDEYE. And Scott.

Well, a Were' would probably keep his/her education up the same way everybody else does: living in the world. I agree that a given Were might choose to continue his/her higher education now and then, but in what type of schooling- well, that's open. Werewolves wouldn't likely spend all their time being chased by the peasants in the countryside, they would gravitate to the city as a way of "disappearing into the noise". They would be a lot harder to find that way. Remember, more than most, a Were' is a "stealth" sort of critter; staying Smoothskin unless they need to get fuzzy for a reason. They can operate in all weathers, and at all hours; unlilke Vampires and such that are destroyed by daylight.

As for instinct: We all use our instincts to help us survive; whether it's jumping forward when we hear a loud noise behind us, or remembering the smell of a dish that made us sick.
Instinct is just there: you can modify it, enhance it, or sublimate it. You can't really train it into someone-because then it's not instinct, it's acquired knowledge. Instinct, you're born with. You can modify it, but it's not a learned thing: it's written into our genes.

[LightPaws]

I feel that a grown werewolf should get polytechnical education for a span of about 5-10 years every 20-100 years, with whichever class level they can choose. One reason is that textbooks are constantly evolving with each printed edition, so it would be a terrible joke to just leave their education not up-to-date. Another reason is that i see it as a great insult to just put bicentennial werewolves in an urban setting with no modern knowledge without any reason whatsoever, leaving them with a chance that they'll end up as tarzans or bogans masquerading as humans. That's like putting a cro-magnon in a quantum physics lab.

If werewolves did have that kind of longevity (and I believe they could if those crazy Christians would stop trying to kill them), ).

I found that comment on Christians rude, out of place, and completely unneeded. I'm a Christain, but I don't go running around killing things that supposedly 'unnatural'. In fact, legendary werewolf Theasis(sp?) refered to all werewolves as 'Hounds of God'. Please refain from making such rude comments unless the topic is in fact, about religion. There are other Christians in this pack, and I'm sure they feel the same.

Back on topic, I think those born as werewolves would be taught by older pack members, while a newly bitten would be taught how to adapt If they couldn't learn, they'd just have to be disposed off.

[JoshuaMadoc]

while a newly bitten would be taught how to adapt If they couldn't learn, they'd just have to be disposed off.

Oh... That jus-- that just sounds barbaric... Whatever happened to the concept of "second chance"? And supervised home-schooling? :/

[Terastas]

I found that comment on Christians rude, out of place, and completely unneeded.

I said crazy Christians, not Christians in general. You just went out of your way to get offended.

[LightPaws]

while a newly bitten would be taught how to adapt If they couldn't learn, they'd just have to be disposed off.

Oh... That jus-- that just sounds barbaric... Whatever happened to the concept of "second chance"? And supervised home-schooling? :/

Yes, but if they couldn't adapt, it would put the lives of many innocent people in danger. Which would you prefer, one death to prevent many, or many deaths for the sake of one?

[LightPaws]

I found that comment on Christians rude, out of place, and completely unneeded.

I said crazy Christians, not Christians in general. You just went out of your way to get offended.

Ah, sorry about that. I didn't relize you were talking about crazy christians, and just assumed that you were calling us all crazy.

[JoshuaMadoc]

Yes, but if they couldn't adapt, it would put the lives of many innocent people in danger. Which would you prefer, one death to prevent many, or many deaths for the sake of one?

Then you're saying it wrong. I would definitely choose the former, but ONLY as a very desperate last resort, if all attempts at subduing fails. Death may be cheap, but i don't consider grief to be cheap as well.

[Kelpten]

There's always prison. After all, that's how we deal with our misfits in society

[wolf4life]

It would make sense for a new born werewolf child to need teaching in hunting, skills, etc but if your thinking of school for the human side of the child, it may make hiding your true form harder but it is probably needed for blending in with humans during the day and doing the normal wolf at night.

For a person who has been bitten, they should automatically know a few things but things become more clear overtime....like self teaching. Ex: A person just bitten would know the simple senses of sniffing around to find your way around, hunting small creatures, etc. But after a bit, it becomes easier for them to do things in wolf form and they learn new and different things pertaining to the wolf side

[Terastas]

It would make sense for a new born werewolf child to need teaching in hunting, skills, etc but if your thinking of school for the human side of the child, it may make hiding your true form harder but it is probably needed for blending in with humans during the day and doing the normal wolf at night.

*nods* Werewolf training in the young ages would have to be a weekend thing.

Depending on when lycanthropy became active (I'm personally not a big fan of werewolf pups), they might have to homeschool them until they were at an age where they could understand why it's important not to shift, but as soon as they could send them off to public school, they would. That would effectively teach them how to blend in.

[BlackWolfDS]

I don't know if this was said already..but I'm going to say it anyway.

Werewolf education would be mostly instinctual, however, I think a werewolf would be more taught how to hide their secret, and taught the history of their gift. (why, how, ect) I think their hunting and stalking skills would be honed with practice and guidance from an older werewolf but not completely learned from them. Uh....and I think that's it. Can't think right now

[Terastas]

Wolves are born with some basic play instincts, but they only learn to attribute them to hunting and stalking by observing others.

Humans, on the other hand, learn almost completely by observing and mimicking, so even if you assume their instincts are half and half, they would have to be taught the majority of their behaviors.

But yes, I think werewolves would teach their kin how to refrain from shifting and how to blend in before they would teach them how to hunt, stalk, etc.

[Scott Gardener]

I don't really see an underground university as that realistic a postulation. (So, you're a fellow "Hogwarts" alumnus, huh?) But, I could see "home schooling" adding lycanthropic content to the curriculum.

I voted "no," as I feel a lot of lycanthropic abilities would be transferred instinctively. Still, I do think teaching how to optimize those abilities to full advantage would be just about a necessity. Certainly, some basic training in werewolf culture and ettiquette would also be pretty neccessary. ("Rule one: no one knows about werewolves except werewolves," etc.)

[Teh_DarkJokerWolf]

It should be instinctual, really.

Simple, but well said. Considering if this is a werewolf that keeps it's human intelligence after the shift which I believe would be factual. Though the instincts wof the wolf would surely be there it would be smart enough already on the human part an know what's right an wrong imho

[*nagowteena*]

The need to kill and eat is instinct.

However the techniques and methods used by wolves, as well as all other mamalian carnivores are taught to the young by the parents, otherwise all they know is chase and bite.

I must agree.

[Silverclaw]

A lot would be instinct, but some stuff would be taught. Like how to hunt as a pack, transforming by will, not to eat chocolate in wolf form( ), ect. So, yeah, not a full-blown education/schooling with homework, but the pack helping newly transformed/young weres learn some of the finer points. imho.

[Fenrir]

I just believe everyone should have an education, even if it has to be rammed down their throwts. .....However ignorance is bliss, and some times i wish i could erase the things I know. but meh i think it's better this way/