Ralph Müller's cartridge: «Why I left university».»

Each month, we feature a column by one of the personalities who give us the pleasure of alternating between the two. Youtuber Ralph Müller delivers his scathing analysis of a typical contemporary phenomenon.

For four years, I worked as an assistant-doctoral fellow in the Department of Modern French Language and Literature at the University of Geneva. I taught one seminar a year and carried out research on how tone manifests itself in writing.

Then, the very special circumstances we all remember disrupted a course that seemed more or less mapped out: a stubborn virus appeared and put us under house arrest for a few weeks.

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Working from home, I spent more time than usual on my phone and YouTube. Watching videos brought back an old desire: to produce my own.

Even as a student, I was frustrated by the lack of impact our courses of study had on public life. I noticed early on that the articles and books of the professors I held in such high esteem never made it beyond the walls of our faculties, and the very restricted circle of their colleagues. Yet I was convinced that the human sciences had something to say about the world beyond the strict confines of our specialized investigations. That our eyes and our sensibility could contribute something to the discussion of the most pressing problems.

Taking advantage of the exceptional circumstances in which we found ourselves at the time, I took the plunge and, placing my phone as best I could on my desk, filmed my first video. It was soon followed by a second one, which met with unexpected success, and marked the start of an adventure that would continue four years later.

My intuition proved right, and I had the opportunity to appreciate the enthusiasm that our tools and methods could arouse in people, delighted to be told about phenomena that concern them in a language rooted in the most human of things. Soon, academic research seemed bland compared to what I could transmit via my channel. Far be it from me to disparage my channel, but I realized that it simply wasn't for me.

So, last year, I decided to give up my thesis and my job and set up my own freelance business on the Internet. As I continue to develop my channel, I'm also building an online school, where I offer courses focused on mastering and perfecting the written and spoken language. At present, I've released a course on reading, aimed at anyone who wants to make reading a regular part of their life. I believe that reading is the basis of language mastery and a healthy mind. Reading allows us to explore worlds and ideas that are far more fruitful than the deluge of sterile information that overwhelms us every day.

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As I love to write, I also have a newsletter through which I send out a text every Wednesday, on various subjects that I then follow according to my moods and interests.

Finally, I have in these columns for Le Regard Libre another ideal place of expression for my writing, in a slightly more teasing vein here.

«You're doing Lettres, what are you going to do next...?». How many times have I heard that question? And it's true that there aren't many outlets... Perhaps it's a question of building them, and showing, in concrete terms, why the humanities are invaluable.

I've had ample opportunity to see that they are welcomed with open hearts when they are made audible.

Ralph Müller is a youtuber and trainer. Starting with the next issue, each month he will deliver his scathing analysis of a phenomenon typical of our time.

You have just read a column from our print edition (Le Regard Libre N°108).

All chronicles by Ralph Müller

To its YouTube channel «The Cartridge»