Major props to my good friend Alex Lasota(!!!) in helping me realize a while ago that part of the learning / life experience is traveling, touching, seeing, doing. So much of my life has been devoted to learning about everything. I thought learning was the end all be all to life and its problems. I thought I'd never have to leave my house to know everything. Sounds ridiculous right?
That's basically what school teaches. Remember once-a-year field trips? What's up with that. Do you really only need to leave the classroom once a year to experience what you were learning about? In college field trips vanish completely and learning is strictly limited to books, even much less to videos showing direct application. Yet the point of learning about any subject is because of its real life applicability. Story problems don't suffice! I need to be taught how to apply formulas and critical thinking to seemingly random problems that can pop up in daily life! Book learning seems like it can be summarized as a shortcut to the answers of problems, but it doesn't get me excited, it doesn't ingrain anything, it just presents information. Then the teacher leaves it to the student by saying, "Remember this forever, okay?" I think that's why I can't remember a line from any of my 3 years of spanish, 1 year of japanese, and years of science and math classes. My mind is blank!
Anyway on a more personal level, I used to think if I just studied enough philosophy I'd know all the answers to lives problems, or at least have the tools necessary to deal with a variety. That was quickly shut down when I ran into relationship trouble during the summer. I didn't know anything about something so basic to the human experience - love - How many more pains and joys I was oblivious to became a burden on my mind. I knew I needed to experience more and more to be content with myself. I realized I can't learn my way to happiness either; philosophy never made me happy, maybe more satisfied with my ability to answer difficult questions... but never happy.
Aw thank you for name dropping me :] I'm happy to help at anytime! I think when it comes to school it's two fold (I'm sure I've told you this before)..One part books, one part experience.
ReplyDeleteNever frown on the knowledge you get in books, because somewhere it will come in handy, especially when it comes to topics that you enjoy.
I myself cannot remember a sentence from my French class that I happened to take three years of. I think it's because at that time of my life, this subject wasn't important to me. I simply took the class because it was a requirement and it wasn't something I was passionate about. As I'm growing older, I have a strong desire to learn Italian and Polish..I think as we grow older we really start painting our canvas with all the colors that we wish to represent us. These colors are what defines our painting and forms us into who we are.
Every year you're going to learn new things, in fact every day you'll learn new things. Placing yourself in a wide array of places and experiences will give you an entirely different perspective on life. You see things in a different way as well as understand why people believe in the things they do. (Novels also can help you understand this...but seeing it for your own eyes affirms it).
Never get down on it though, life isn't puzzle that's meant to be solved...it's simply a puzzle. All you can do is enjoy putting it together.