It’s the start of a new month, which means it’s time for a new homepage quote. Since the school year gets back underway for most of us in the coming weeks, I thought this line from Tolstoy could give students and teachers alike something to think about.
While the quote echoes a similar sentiment as the Socratic paradox, I find the idea of embracing ignorance perfectly described in one of my favorite books, Why Read? by University of Virginia professor Mark Edmundson.
In his chapter called “For Ignorance,” Edmundson offers the following anecdote:
In Vienna, there was once a superb teacher of music, very old. He accepted few students. There came to him once a young man whom all of Berlin was celebrating. He was only 14, yet he played exquisitely. The young man arrived in Austria hoping to study with the master. At the audition, he played to perfection; everyone surrounding the old teacher attested to the fact. When it came time to make his decision, the old man didn't hesitate. "I don't want him," he said. "But, master, why not?" asked a protégé. "He's the most gifted young violinist we've ever heard." "Maybe," said the old man. "But he lacks something, and without this thing real development is not possible. What that young man lacks is inexperience."
What Edmundson is illustrating, and I think Socrates and Tolstoy would agree, is that true learning can only take place when one recognizes his limitations and accepts his lack of knowledge. Too many times for young people, the culture of cool or a fear of failure or some other obstacle gets in the way of participating in the process of discovery. I often say that their biggest problem is that they don't know what they don't know. Today’s youth can often vacillate between states of believing they already know everything and thinking that knowing is a signal of trying too hard. (I know, it’s exhausting.)
But this year, I want to challenge all students out there. It’s okay to be curious, to be unsure, to be...dumb! It’s okay to ask questions and actually be interested! You will be amazed at the freedom that will come from not worrying how you look in front of others. Becoming smart means taking on your ignorance and challenging yourself to go beyond, to learn more, to be more. That is the student your teacher wants you to be, the child your parents want you to be, and the worker your future employer wants you to be—someone willing and excited to grow.
Maturity comes from knowing who you truly are. The sooner you accept that you have a lot of maturing to do, the better off you will be. And the better off your school year will be as well. Be ignorant!
While the quote echoes a similar sentiment as the Socratic paradox, I find the idea of embracing ignorance perfectly described in one of my favorite books, Why Read? by University of Virginia professor Mark Edmundson.
In his chapter called “For Ignorance,” Edmundson offers the following anecdote:
In Vienna, there was once a superb teacher of music, very old. He accepted few students. There came to him once a young man whom all of Berlin was celebrating. He was only 14, yet he played exquisitely. The young man arrived in Austria hoping to study with the master. At the audition, he played to perfection; everyone surrounding the old teacher attested to the fact. When it came time to make his decision, the old man didn't hesitate. "I don't want him," he said. "But, master, why not?" asked a protégé. "He's the most gifted young violinist we've ever heard." "Maybe," said the old man. "But he lacks something, and without this thing real development is not possible. What that young man lacks is inexperience."
What Edmundson is illustrating, and I think Socrates and Tolstoy would agree, is that true learning can only take place when one recognizes his limitations and accepts his lack of knowledge. Too many times for young people, the culture of cool or a fear of failure or some other obstacle gets in the way of participating in the process of discovery. I often say that their biggest problem is that they don't know what they don't know. Today’s youth can often vacillate between states of believing they already know everything and thinking that knowing is a signal of trying too hard. (I know, it’s exhausting.)
But this year, I want to challenge all students out there. It’s okay to be curious, to be unsure, to be...dumb! It’s okay to ask questions and actually be interested! You will be amazed at the freedom that will come from not worrying how you look in front of others. Becoming smart means taking on your ignorance and challenging yourself to go beyond, to learn more, to be more. That is the student your teacher wants you to be, the child your parents want you to be, and the worker your future employer wants you to be—someone willing and excited to grow.
Maturity comes from knowing who you truly are. The sooner you accept that you have a lot of maturing to do, the better off you will be. And the better off your school year will be as well. Be ignorant!