Teachers
[A friend recommended Baltasar Gracian's The Art of Worldly Wisdom. Gracian was a Spanish scholar of the 17th century who set forth a series of maxims for ethical action. From time to time I'll write about one of his maxims.]
I've been a student and a teacher and I've enjoyed both. I'm still both in different ways. I'm still looking for knowledge. I believe I'll be a student all my life. Every day I learn something new, I find some new interesting subject to pursue. Whether I'm listening to music, reading the newspaper or a book, watching television or simply quietly thinking, I continually find things I'd like to know more about. I hope that never changes. My most enjoyable pursuit is learning. But I also try to teach when I have the chance. Whenever I can, I like to teach the things I've learned in my years as a student, whether to children or my peers, whether at work or play. For example, the purpose of this website is to teach lessons I've learned in the hope that others won't have such a hard time learning them.
Gracian recognizes the need to do both and reminds us that we can be both teachers and students effortlessly, so long as we maintain social interaction. We learn something from everyone we meet and, if we are behaving properly, we can teach something to everyone we meet. Gracian reminds us that teaching doesn't require a school room, nor does it require textbooks. Learning doesn't require a formal curriculum, nor do we need rewards and reminders such as grades or degrees. We can teach and learn through watching and listening, as well as by reading, we can improve our behavior by associating with others, we should look at every situation as an opportunity. If we look at all encounters as chances to teach or learn, we can learn from everyone and we have something to teach to everyone.
I think Gracian has again captured a profound thought. Not only should we try to learn as long as we live, we should try to teach because sometimes that's the best way to learn. Just as organizing our thoughts to teach a formal lesson helps us learn, trying to be constructive and giving in our everyday lives teaches us something new about ourselves.
Do your best to teach, do your best to live the lessons you want to give others, continue to learn. In that way, you'll be a better person and help others to be better as well.
6-27-05
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