Everyday I am inundated with blogs, news and articles and books on the internet. There is so much to read. Even if I devote all my time to reading, I cannot finish those books that I have shortlisted. I cannot see the top 100 movies. What to do?
This has put me in a fix. I now filter a lot. Then I filter even more... and I read some.
Sometimes I wonder, have I missed on something that was worth reading? Was there something out there that could have changed my life, that I missed? I used to attend every possible concert (without knowing anything abt music) and theatre in the hope that I will find my calling. Now, I go to very few ones - ones that I MAY enjoy.
What does one do when inundated with so much knowledge?
Linda Holmes seem to get a hang of my lament and wrote about it:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2011/04/21/135508305/the-sad-beautiful-fact-that-were-all-going-to-miss-almost-everything?sc=tw
I then jumped to:
http://www.rogerebert.com/rogers-journal/does-anyone-want-to-be-well-read
and from there to:
http://jeromestueart.com/2011/04/17/the-nudge-the-monument-and-the-fan-base-thoughts-about-the-endurance-of-writers/
I picked one of the writers Paul Goodman and read a bit. He echoes education outside school.
"It is in the schools and from the mass media, rather than at home or from their friends, that the mass of our citizens in all classes learn that life is inevitably routine, depersonalized, venally graded; that it is best to toe the mark and shut up; that there is no place for spontaneity, open sexuality and free spirit. Trained in the schools they go on to the same quality of jobs, culture and politics. This is education, miseducation socializing to the national norms and regimenting to the nation's 'needs'".[7]
Goodman thought that a person's most valuable educational experiences occur outside the school. Participation in the activities of society should be the chief means of learning. Instead of requiring students to succumb to the theoretical drudgery of textbook learning, Goodman recommends that education be transferred into factories, museums, parks, department stores, etc., where the students can actively participate in their education... The ideal schools would take the form of small discussion groups of no more than twenty individuals. As has been indicated, these groups would utilize any effective environment that would be relevant to the interest of the group. Such education would be necessarily non-compulsory, for any compulsion to attend places authority in an external body disassociated from the needs and aspirations of the students. Moreover, compulsion retards and impedes the students' ability to learn."[7]
After all the confusion and disappointments and fears.. I have come to believe that books will find me.. authors who I'm destined to meet, will come knocking at my door or jump at my browser.
Should I read and re-read what I already have instead of buying new books?
Should I do a course on Literature and philosophy to discover these greats?
I'm confused. May these authors guide me in my quest.
This has put me in a fix. I now filter a lot. Then I filter even more... and I read some.
Sometimes I wonder, have I missed on something that was worth reading? Was there something out there that could have changed my life, that I missed? I used to attend every possible concert (without knowing anything abt music) and theatre in the hope that I will find my calling. Now, I go to very few ones - ones that I MAY enjoy.
What does one do when inundated with so much knowledge?
Linda Holmes seem to get a hang of my lament and wrote about it:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2011/04/21/135508305/the-sad-beautiful-fact-that-were-all-going-to-miss-almost-everything?sc=tw
I then jumped to:
http://www.rogerebert.com/rogers-journal/does-anyone-want-to-be-well-read
and from there to:
http://jeromestueart.com/2011/04/17/the-nudge-the-monument-and-the-fan-base-thoughts-about-the-endurance-of-writers/
I picked one of the writers Paul Goodman and read a bit. He echoes education outside school.
"It is in the schools and from the mass media, rather than at home or from their friends, that the mass of our citizens in all classes learn that life is inevitably routine, depersonalized, venally graded; that it is best to toe the mark and shut up; that there is no place for spontaneity, open sexuality and free spirit. Trained in the schools they go on to the same quality of jobs, culture and politics. This is education, miseducation socializing to the national norms and regimenting to the nation's 'needs'".[7]
Goodman thought that a person's most valuable educational experiences occur outside the school. Participation in the activities of society should be the chief means of learning. Instead of requiring students to succumb to the theoretical drudgery of textbook learning, Goodman recommends that education be transferred into factories, museums, parks, department stores, etc., where the students can actively participate in their education... The ideal schools would take the form of small discussion groups of no more than twenty individuals. As has been indicated, these groups would utilize any effective environment that would be relevant to the interest of the group. Such education would be necessarily non-compulsory, for any compulsion to attend places authority in an external body disassociated from the needs and aspirations of the students. Moreover, compulsion retards and impedes the students' ability to learn."[7]
- "It is by losing ourselves in inquiry, creation & craft that we become something. Civilization is a continual gift of spirit: inventions, discoveries, insight, art. We are citizens, as Socrates would have said, & we have it available as our own. "
After all the confusion and disappointments and fears.. I have come to believe that books will find me.. authors who I'm destined to meet, will come knocking at my door or jump at my browser.
Should I read and re-read what I already have instead of buying new books?
Should I do a course on Literature and philosophy to discover these greats?
I'm confused. May these authors guide me in my quest.
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