Yesterday was my first day back to class. I can't say that I am entirely excited about this. I'm already tired.
THOUGHT:
I had a professor once tell me that what a college education does is allow me to more adequately express what I believe, what I defend and, more importantly, why I believe and defend what I do. I have thought a lot about that "why" factor over this past semester. It's becoming apparent to me that college is basically a study of things that other people have already done and what they've had to say about it. What is left to the student is to decide what epistemological ideas he or she wants to embrace and that, to me, is a daunting task.
I think it's easy to say what I believe but to do so without truly understanding the why is a reflection of ignorance and can even be dangerous. I think it's human nature to become defensive about our ideas but takes time and forethought to be still enough to really understand where the idea comes from in the first place. I've realized that I cannot truly be educated if I just look for the ideas that reinforce my interpretation of the world. I've realized that before I interpret anything, I need to study people that are different from me. Someday when I am older and wiser than I am now, I will have my chance to talk, but right now I just get to listen and for that I am grateful. I have a lot to learn and I hope that realization will be enough to get me out of bed and in class every morning. We'll see...
So runs my dream, but what am I?
An infant crying in the night.
An infant crying for the light
And with no language but a cry.
-Tennyson
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