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Knowing The Unknown
Florin Dragos Minculescu
 Yesterday at 04:31 pm
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From an early age, I was interested in knowledge—not knowledge for its own sake, but for the effect it produces: awareness, and more precisely, the state of wonder that accompanies awareness. About knowledge, over time I understood that there are three levels: theoretical, experiential, and ultimately contemplative. Theoretical knowledge informs you by offering a conceptual perspective, but it is followed—or should be followed—by putting into practice what was previously conceptualized, which means that experiential knowledge is superior to theoretical knowledge. The highest form of knowledge is contemplative knowledge, and it does not exclude other forms of knowledge, being thus a form of existential knowledge in the sense that this type of knowledge is simultaneously experienced in all its forms. We, humans, are beings who, beyond physiological and social needs, also have needs of consciousness. Material poverty is not the only form of poverty that a person can suffer from, because there are also cultural poverty, spiritual poverty, vocational poverty, and even poverty of consciousness. Being aware that we are conscious, we are inevitably in a state of thirst for awareness, and this hunger for novelty is, in my view, the essence of our existence in existence. Recently, I received a gift from my children of Dr. Jordan Peterson's latest book, "We Who Wrestle with God," and at the same time, the first episode of "The Gospels" series appeared. I will end with these verses: Consciousness shape They said billions of years, Since its beginning, Matter has traveled, To its morning. Sleeping light is awakening, Through flesh and blood, Is making its way, To its rising. The heaviness of stone sleep, Through inner Sun's grace, Is gradually removed from eye, To its clarity. They called it the matter, But little do they know, That matter is pure.. Unaware awareness! by Florin Dragoș Minculescu
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HOW TO BE GROWN-UP 101
Discordit
 November 15 2024 at 05:12 pm
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Thinking back to my first day of secondary school (UK Ed sys), there was this perception I had developed that had me thinking that, not only, the way I would be treated would reflect me having the status of "adult in development" but that the other students would also behave according to this principle understanding. This concept was put to bed early during my first classroom sessio, in the first moments to be precise. I had just entered into the classroom and was sat back among my new classmates, our new teacher stood at the front and suggesting, as all do, that we go around the room and introduce ourselves. Happenstance or design had the teacher first call upon a student who stood notably shorter than the rest of the class and was, with appropriate reasoning, not only concerned about the prospect of being bullied but noticeably shy as a consequence. Having noticed this, and under the preconception that the purpose of our being at the school was a collaborative effort in maturing our minds and skills, I spoke up in encouragement. Was this the right move? My classroom fell silent, my classmate's expressions suddenly shifting from that of trepidation at having to speak up in a room of strangers to that of shock, in some small amount, that one of us would so casually offer a word to help, as if the concept of it being a conversational setting was entirely foreign and that this was a "speak when spoken to" only situation. Naturally I spent that moment with a big dumb smile on my face, looking back and forth between the teacher and student for recognition of my expectations, finding a half confused look on the student's face and a look of "oh no, is this one of those kids?" on the teacher's. As you might expect, this moment augmented my expectations for the new school experience and I settled back into the status quo of teachers running through the script of information and students as children to be taught a base cariculum. Looking back on that moment, at that fleeting version of myself, I was in an ideal state of mind to learn, to develop, to share the experience and grow as part of a collaborative effort. It seemed to be the classroom environment itself that wasn't ready to harness the enthusiasm, not because it isn't an effective method of presenting and dissemination information but because it is designed to be a one sided production line of education. The book "Education: A very short introduction" by Gary Thomas explores the notion that the best way to teach and to learn is to, as a teacher, hold the reigns just enough to keep students safe and to set a goal for them to achieve, giving them the tools they need to achieve and allowing them the time and experience necessary to essentially teach themselves. The book then goes on to note that this is difficult to achieve in a school, to create a template that produces a standard outcome when the method is so free form, and to ensure that individual students aren't falling behind and concealing this by hiding in the groups that the method encourages be formed. Reading that book sent a flash of recognition through me, to that bright eyed kid ready to learn how to be grown up, wondering who I turn into on the other side of my time in secondary school, what kind of career I would find myself gravitating toward, and how much fun it was going to be to explore the paths of education that the school had to offer. I wonder what it would be like if every student in my class had the same perspective as me in that moment and if the teacher knew how to respond to the enthusiasm, maybe talking through what the school had to offer, what the basics were on the cariculum while encouraging students to explore their own interests within the limitations of what the school can provide. It's often so easily forgotten that we created the world around us and that we're obliged to improve it, to seek out and solve the problems standing between us and whatever comes. Education is a good starting point, if nothing else.
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