“I am your teacher and you are learning in my school. My aim is to bring you to completion, unhindered, free from compulsive behavior, unrestrained, without shame, free, flourishing, and happy, looking to God in things great and small–your aim is to learn and diligently practice all these things. Why then don’t you complete the work, if you have the right aim and I have both the right aim and right preparation? What is missing? The work is quite feasible, and is the only thing in our power. Let go of the past. We must only begin. Believe me and you will see.”
Epictetus, Discourses, 2.19.29-34
STORY TIME
I had one professor in uni before that I just felt so bad about. He was the least inspiring of all the people who graced my academic years since his method of teaching wasn’t the greatest. I used to think that he was just there to terrorize students and not really teach and impart knowledge he has as a practicing professional. He didn’t need the money as it was nothing for him in my opinion (he has a full time job as a geologist and probs tons of side hustles so yeah).
He was so uninspiring and I only came to class because I have to take an exam or quiz. I didn’t even believe that I needed to attend his lectures since it was useless to me and I felt studying on my own would do more good for me than being in his classroom and listening to memorized and practiced crap that he has. Halfway through the semester, I just gave up. It was utterly annoying and there was no way I would pass that class. I believed, and I still do so to this day, that studying for an exam should not consist of memorization and repeating dictated bullshit. Exams should check how much you understood on one course subject and not how many words you can memorize so you could fill in the blanks. It doesn’t make any sense to me. That’s not how you learn. Anyway, he always boasted how he only passed 30% (this is the number that I remember but I could be wrong. It could be lower, not higher though) of the students and the rest would fail in all of his classes. Why would I waste my time on something that was set up for me to fail? (And that is the story of my first ever failing mark since the history of my education at Adamson. He failed me one more time and that is another bullshit for a different post haha.)
That’s why it is quite important to have educators that ACTUALLY cares about imparting knowledge. People who inspire others to be the best that they can and who aim to see their students flourish should be getting teaching jobs. For some reason, back home, it’s always people who have the desire to just carry on the tradition of torment and torture to others get the job. And so the cycle continues. Thank God that’s not how it is in real life. You can actually choose what kind of teachings and values you want to follow and set your life in the direction you see fit for you and your purpose.
And in finding ones self, life will have the much needed direction we crave for
Real life requires hard work and dedication for it to work out for us. You need solid guidance and clarity to make life enjoyable and worthwhile. This is where philosophy enters. Whatever you subscribe into, it will determine how your life would work out. It’s no longer good grades we are getting, rather the quality of life that resulted from our choices and decisions. Thank God that the term “failure” in life is subjective and no longer objective as it was in school. You yourself determine whether you are successful and not other people and their meaning of “success”.
For myself at least, success does not equate to the amount of money I have and my lot in society. It’s nice to be comfortable and acknowledged, for sure, but I don’t think I would be happy with just that. I am chasing after nourishing experiences and relationships. I follow things that can make my existence bearable. Anything that can bring me joy is worth exploring no matter how difficult it seems. I chase after knowledge and wisdom. I want to exhaust all the skills that I can and could learn. I want to go where my feet would lead me. I barely care about things that I feel like I wouldn’t even bother to think about on my deathbed. To me, success is making this life enjoyable, joyful and exciting. When it comes to what society feels I should be doing with my life, those are just mere side quests. Just trifling things I have to deal with from time to time.
Of course, I could be speaking in a privileged position. I am currently living in a country and in a certain way where I don’t really worry about the two lowest steps of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and not everyone is in that position. I am at that point where I am working on my self-actualization so yeah. BUT, just like most things in life, there’s no other way but up. You just have to do the work, and give your best at that, no matter what kind of circumstances you’re in. Begin and the rest will follow.
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