Learning and Education: Some Universal Facets
Life is something that evolves. Learning is a natural trait of a living system that facilitates this evolution. In the case of human life, learning attains greater meaning and dimensions in terms of ability of self-improvement, skill-development, and knowledge-acquisition. By and large, the essence and ascent of our lives depend upon how we nurture and harness this potential.
The Vedas define true education as "sā vidyā yā vimuktaye" — that which liberates one from the thralldoms of ignorance and suffering. J. Krishnamurthy further elaborated this: "Education in true sense is helping the individual to be mature and free, to flower greatly in love and goodness." Renowned educationist Rudolf Steiner emphasized the importance of achieving balance in the three different ways a person relates to the world — through thinking, emotional life, and actions (deeds).
Intellectual Traits of Learning
Inquisitiveness: The desire to learn, to know, the quest to research — is a very important quality, which inspires intellectual creativity and opens up the progressive path of knowledge acquisition. The internal urge and motivation to learn more creates some sort of 'force of attraction' which can pull the 'waves' of desired knowledge towards the inquisitive mind. Knowledge is prevalent everywhere in the cosmos. One would be able to acquire as much as the inquisitiveness and alertness of his mind would attract.
Insightful Awareness: Being well informed of current events in the world around and important developments in the system one lives in and interacts with is regarded as a key to success in the fast moving society of today. Awareness about the world we encounter and general information — on the expert opinions and thoughts on different aspects of significance in personal, social and professional fronts of life — is very helpful in improving our decision-making capabilities.
Impressions of Previous Learning: To a great extent, the suitability of a teaching/training program and the standard of knowledge or skill acquired thereby depend upon the intellectual sharpness, background and dedication of the students. Knowledge grows as a continuous process. What we know today and at what level sets the basis for our further learning and intellectual development. Aspirants of intellectual attainments may learn from this example that disorderly acquisition of knowledge on arbitrary subjects won't serve the real purpose. Superficial 'learning' of many disciplines might make us only as "Jack of all trades but Master of none."
Interactions and Intellectual Association: The nature and mode of life of the people with whom we live and interact has laudable effect on molding of our tendencies. The best example of this effect can be seen in the first major instance of learning in human life — a child picking up his mother tongue. Once upon a time, a hunter found some children inside the lair of a wolf. As they grew up in the company of wolves, they too had adopted similar habits — they used to roar like wolves, were able to tear off small animals; they used to like living inside the den. They were not able to walk and speak like humans. Live examples and theories of behavioral learning indicate that the development of a child largely depends upon how he has been brought up and in what company.
Interest and Practice: If you want to learn a subject or cultivate a talent, mere reading and listening to its elucidations won't be sufficient. You will have to apply its knowledge into action. Reading and hearing about swimming or watching others in the pool does not by itself make one a swimmer; for this, one will have to enter into the pool of water and practice appropriate movements of the body himself. Failure or errors should not become a cause of worry or irritation, rather, should make us more attentive and careful. This is a natural principle of learning — "practice makes one perfect."
[We will continue our discussion on the universal facets of learning in the next issue of the magazine, where we shall consider some psychological traits and factors.]
"Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel." — Socrates
"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young." — Henry Ford
"Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it." — Albert Einstein
"Give a bowl of rice to a man and you will feed him for a day. Teach him how to grow his own rice and you will save his life." — Confucius