Unfortunately, we can only do justice through writing to
what we know and have experienced. When we step outside of that sphere of
knowledge, we often leave a trail of butchered truths and realities that are
easily seen by our audiences. Even if we think we’ve studied hard enough on a
subject, it won’t translate to the reader as smoothly as the words of someone
who really knows.
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| Dog Flea |
Enter John Donne, a poet and preacher so witty and understanding that many of his metaphors still register today. He saw the world around him and how it moved and shifted his emotions and being. He saw those effects resonate in the lives of those around him. And what he saw, he internalized. John Donne didn’t know everything, but what he did know, he endeavored to know well.
Modern humanities students are encouraged to do the same. It
isn’t enough to be told about the world, we have to experience it as well. That
doesn’t mean we need to spend our early years throwing away opportunities
before having a change of heart and devoting ourselves to the clergy (even
though some of us do). But, it means that when we do experience, we need to be
aware and invested. If we can observe, record, and explain what we see, we’ll
be able to affect the changes we feel our world needs.
'A dog flea (Ctenocephalides canis): adult, pupa, egg and larva. Coloured etching.' . Credit: Wellcome Collection. CC BY
I'm surprised this article doesn't already have more comments, it's brilliant. There's a fine balance between knowledge and wisdom, and I feel like (up to a point) the more you have of one, the less you need for the other to make an insightful point. When someone nurtures the seed of constant observation and reflection, that is where wisdom sprouts.
ReplyDeleteThere is little that can make up for a lack of experience. I think that we all would do well to be a bit more aware and mindful of what goes on around us and remember it as well. "If we can observe, record, and explain what we see, we’ll be able to affect the changes we feel our world needs." This line is very important for us all to understand. We can't make a difference if we are ignorant.
ReplyDeleteI love John Donne. And you're darn right too. You don't need to know everything about any given subject to reference it or to claim an interest in it. It's a shame more people aren't invested in investigating the world these days.
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