What? A title like that from a dumbass like me? I didn’t even graduate from High School so what can I say about learning? Much indeed, fellow human beings. 'Cause we’re all alike… or maybe not.
John Calvin, in his intro to the Institutes wrote, quoting St. Augustine, “some people write as they learn, and learn as they write”, counting himself amongst them, and so do I.
We all differ in learning styles and my style might not work for someone else, but the idea behind learning is certainly more than retaining information. The best computer is not learned, only fed and programmed. It has no brains. We do.
As most of the time, I’m not necessarily sober when writing, but that too does not inhibit things. One could say it rather expands them. - Too much Platonism and rigidity. We’re human, not stoic.
I’m writing an essay, and as always I feel inadequate. Due dates drive me crazy! Thinking under pressure is like locking up your thoughts. Nothing good will ever come out of this. - But it seems to go along quite well. Just half-way through but it’s coming. - So what am I doing? Studying? Not really. As is noticeable I’m writing, on a completely different subject. Later on I’ll watch some TV and chill. Productive? Hell yeah!
Once your focus is on a given subject everything, yes everything, contributes to the learning of that subject. The reason behind this is simple. All of life is connected. There is no discipline so specific as to be not connected to the rest of existence, and should there be one, it’s not a real one and not worthy to be pursued.
My focus is lacking, true, and I need to look further into certain specifics tomorrow, but you can only do so once rested. A stressed out mind cannot process correctly. And specifics are needed. They are the tools of science. But what those specifics miss happens when you watch TV, order pizza, or sit around a well-cooked meal with friends. You get the overall picture and how those specifics end up fitting into the larger framework. And they, those specifics, need to be guided and informed by that larger picture, as otherwise they are useless endeavors, existing in abstract not helping anyone. And that, exactly that, is the goal of all learning: the benefit thereof for all humanity. Any other goal misses the mark and is not worth being called learning.
Sociological science book on my left, piles of books and papers related to the topic on my right. A blasted mind in the middle. - Do you have any idea how dumb I feel???
Give me one hundred years to process this material in any meaningful manner and without mistaking some of it. Science is a bitch. Only poetry can carry the human heart. - And here we have it, again, Science and Poetry… or in its previous versions: Philosophy and Theology. (I know I mixed them… 
)
I admit, I am a poet, not a scientist, but it is poetry that gives life to this otherwise meaningless existence. Is poetry the truth? Please. Don’t be silly. Human life is a poem, each one written by its own author. And that is beauty! To confuse this with facts is the “adult dilemma”. Let’s remain kids! - But the fact is just that, that we know the distinction, apply it every day to those growing up. But once that distinction takes on the neurotic need to carry on later there is a problem.
The art of learning is all kinds of things, all kinds of different things to all kinds of different people, but one thing it is and has in common, and that is “learning”. Only learning gets us anywhere, “knowing” gets us nowhere, as truth be told, we don’t know nothing.
Peace.
Gee. for someone who keeps claiming she’s dumb, you shore write purty and smart things. There are a number of different kinds of intelligence, and academic is only one of them. I assure you that I’ve met a number of PhDs in a variety of fields who made my skin crawl with their incompetence in other (and sometimes even their own) fields.
Occam
I’ve been thinking lately about how few I have known that are/were both smart and humble, or attentive to detail and flexible, who could see their own faults and forgive the faults of others, stuff that like, you know, perfect people. Just being aware of your own imperfections makes you a better person that most.
Hey Occam, Hey Lausten…
“I wish , I wish, I wish”… to be some “smart person”, really drowning in a pool of them, as there are quite many, very admired by me… but it really means nothing. I used to admire Newton, a total scum bag in person I’m told, and so apparently was Marx. But that doesnt’t negate their ideas.
Honestly, I’m fucking drunk right now, not just slightly. - I wanna answer before this becomes a long thread… so, Peace. take care…
Oh my goodness… pardon my nuttiness again. (Good thing: a spiral ends very soon.)
I do feel like a dumbass many of a time, and I’m certainly not smart, but it’s true, academic achievements don’t necessarily mirror intelligence overall.
My three favorites: Paracelsus, Nietzsche, Dali. All three of them couldn’t stand academia. I feel like betraying them just because I look up to my teachers. I love that academic stuff! … Now that I have another shot at it.
Still remember my first day in school. I was so proud! I loved school more than anything! I was a freakin’ little nerd who did homework with a vengeance. Until… until it all got fucked. And not by me.
“Forgive the faults of others”, as Lausten says. Actually, that’s probably something I’m missing. I know my own shit, but I’m really blaming things on others. Subconsciously of course, but that’s what I’m doing. Classic syndrome… self-pity and piling it onto someone else. Wrong!
Very much Thank You.
Hey Occam, Hey Lausten... "I wish , I wish, I wish"... to be some "smart person",I don't know, maybe this isn't the right reaction, but it's what came into my simple mind. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky7DMCHQJZY And there is a nice lesson buried in there. I wish you strength, you were born into an endless struggle, but you are facing it, you have grabbed it, and are grappling with it, and your life is as epic as any story book character's. Keep grappling with it, the tougher your struggle, the greater the enlightenment when you break through.