A Passion For Learning
February 2009
'Anant. I don't know how you can learn from Sharad Sir,' said Kiran, 'His accent is so funny and he dresses so peculiarly.'
'Well, he is good at Maths and that's what we learn from him, isn't it?' replied Anant, shrugging his shoulders. Ananda, who was hearing the exchange with a bemused smile, tousled Kiran's hair, and said, 'Let me tell you a little anecdote about Socrates, the great Greek philosopher. 'Once a young man approached him, telling him he wanted to learn from him.'Socrates took him to a nearby river and asked him to look into it. When he did so, Socrates suddenly held his head and ducked it in water. The young man gasped for breath and struggled but Socrates held on. After a little while, he released him.
' 'When you wish to learn with the same amount of fervour that you wanted to breathe, I will teach you,' said Socrates.'You see,'Ananda continued, 'in olden days, when teachers were few and aspiring pupils plenty in number, it was primarily the interest of the pupil that determined whether a teacher would take him on as a student. 'Today, we are much more fortunate. We have access to teachers who are specialised in their subjects. When we need to know more, there are books, television and even, the internet, which has loads of information. When we wish to learn something, teachers or books can be found. 'Maybe because it is so easy, we have ceased to value its importance. We go through books and even exercises mechanically, without applying our minds or imagination. We learn by rote, using techniques to remember what we learnt. The ultimate objective is to somehow clear the exams. 'In essence, we find our lessons boring because we are bored with the whole process of learning.
'And Kiran, I must tell you that Socrates too was very funny looking, but people came from all over the world to study under him.'
Apply it: Develop a passion for learning and look beyond the external personality and focus on the character of your teacher.
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