originally posted on ELA 10 PreAP Blog – this i believe – to live is to learn
It is a rather simplistic belief I have, but it has its roots in all parts of my life, whether I realize it or not. This belief is that in order to live, we must learn. Innately, we understand the importance of learning from our mistakes, like when children get burned when they first touch a flame or a hot stove. But I believe we must go past this basic idea and truly develop a love of learning in order to advance not only ourselves but the community around us.
Academic knowledge is what most people would initially think of when discussing the concept of learning, that is the case for me at least. Attending school is a basic part of any teenager’s life, and along with it comes the grades and numbers that are put on them. The separation that exists between the “smart” students and the others is, in my belief, based on the importance the student puts on learning. What else can drive someone to put genuine effort into something?
Obviously, it is very simple to just put in minimal effort in order to get a grade, but when a student has a passion for what they are being taught, the quality of the work they put in increases substantially. And by having the opportunity to experience and learn about many different subject areas, like Math and English, we have this ability to choose what we are truly wanting to do with our lives.
It is very important to recognize that learning is not an exclusive term used for what we find out in books or documentaries. In order to develop as a human being, you also need to have knowledge about yourself. Physically, you need to realize that you have limits and should not just keep pushing yourself until you inflict pain upon yourself. This means that in the pursuit of academic knowledge, for example, you should not sleep for just 4 hours a night as it is not good for your health.
But it is not just the negative things that revolve around what you shouldn’t do, but the things you learn you can do or want to do. We all possess talents and to find them and nurture them allows us to create and do beautiful things. The skills we choose to learn allow us to have an advantage in this increasingly competitive world. Just by recognizing our limits, we have the ability to not put ourselves in danger’s way. At the same time, we are able to go beyond the ones we can change and prove ourselves to the world.
In our interdependent lives, it is crucial that we learn about the people we associate with. Learning about the other person is something that we naturally do without realizing its importance. This isn’t limited to what their favourite colour is or when their birthday is. This extends into knowing what they truly feel about certain things. Without taking the time to learn about the other person’s values, beliefs, and ideas, you are not allowing yourself to create a healthy, positive relationship.
This isn’t an idea exclusive to people you consider your close friends. By keeping yourself open to learning about what any other person thinks, you are able to develop your own thoughts and ideas. You allow yourself to grow into the best person you can be by choosing what you value and believe to be true.
Our society has developed to the point it has, at the rate it has, by people learning about what others have done, or are trying to do, and building off of it. Great ideas come from great people, but it isn’t just one person who comes up with everything. It is with the combined knowledge that generations before us have accumulated that we have the potential of creating amazing things. Learning about what has been proven, and disproven, by the people who lived before we were born allows us the opportunity to expand the knowledge of the world. We have grown as a worldwide community and as individuals because of the fact that so much as been learned about life and the fact that we still have the ability to learn a lot more.
