For most people, learning is a taxing and often unrewarding process. When they are tasked with learning a new task or concept, they often blame their failure to learn the concept after a certain amount of time on their alleged lower intelligence or ineptitude with the class under which the object of their pedagogy falls under. I sympathize with these tendencies as I used to — and at times, still do — despise learning concepts that existed outside of the scope of my “intuition” (a word whose canonical definition, I believe, is inept). However, I believe that the very process most despite is actually characteristic to finding joy in life.
The tendency to blame one’s ineptitude results from western society’s dependence on humans as tools rather than environmental factors. This statement can be seen as naive, vague, or blanketed — but I do believe that it bears at the very least some amount of truth concerning one’s tendency towards self-deprecation. Were each actor in a society seen as necessary rather than disposable, one’s shortcomings would not be corresponded to their value. So, when one cannot learn a task within a given time frame, or given a certain format (i.e. in school or work), they believe that it is because they themselves are inept and not because they are learning it incorrectly. In contrast, were actors in an environment deemed to be necessary for the survival of other actors, one actor would accommodate their peer in order to assure that they understood a concept clearly. Acting selflessly, in this case, is a form of self-preservation, as the peer would wish the same upon the actor.
By thinking critically, one discovers that sympathy and love are necessary for an intellectually conducive environment. So, when one encounters an individual who is struggling with a concept, rather than reprimand or indicate (directly or indirectly) that they are inept at dealing with the concept, they should try and understand why they are misunderstanding the concept. For by understanding their misunderstanding they may discover another interpretation of the concept or technique being learned. In this case, the benefits of being sympathetic outweigh those of being cold and selfish.
This does not go without saying that punishment is still justifiable. In anecdotal digression, I note that I used to make many mistakes as a child. I was not, however, ignorant of my tendency to make mistakes. Rather, I assumed them to be the norm — as I believed myself to be inept — and continued making mistakes. My mother decided to talk to me about this and after confessing my negligence told me “the first time is an accident, the second is curiosity, but the third time is a sin.” I refused to learn from my mistakes, mistakes that were incurring a negative externality on my environment — particularly my maturity and intellectual well-being. So, rather than yell at me, my mother understood my reasoning and pointed out its fallacy. It is not the fact that one is incapable of learning. Instead, it is the fact that rather than exert the energy to learn why they were wrong incurs what is perceived as ineptitude.
Once one understands that the only negative repercussions to learning are those imposed by society, they should realize that any polemics against their failure to learn within a certain time frame are feeble and immature. For the aggressor most likely does not understand the concept fully, and has instead memorized the concept — like a fool. What a strange world we live in, where those who are understandably precise and sympathetic can be counted among fools, and those who are quick to the draw are often heralded as gods among men.
Note, that I do not believe that any of the above arguments require any assumption about the true state of the world. Where there is a pattern, there is order. At times, our passing theory concerning the pattern might not have enough empirical evidence or the correct metrics to provide a complete analysis. But each time we think about a pattern, and attempt to justify its validity, we employ semantics — and above all reasoning — in order to complete the learning process.
Once one understands that learning is in fact an investigation of truth, they will find its applicability ubiquitous. It will manifest in every part of life, providing structure and solace to the chaotic and mundane. Anecdotally, this came to me by mathematics. In order to discover what is mathematically true, one must use reason. My linear-algebra professor, Cory Colbert, introduced me to the idea of mathematics being a structure that permeates the world around us, and imposes order on what otherwise (were it not to follow mathematically) would have been a world whose dynamics were unintelligible. It dictates the way particles interact, and the way conscious entities make decisions. It constrains river-beds and creates earthquakes. It ends worlds and creates them. Or at least, as far as we know. Nevertheless, to investigate is to discover something new. Investigation — curiosity — is implicit in every conscious entity. What one is curious about, however, differs between individuals. It may be the case that all one is curious about is turning a profit for themselves or their employer. So, they will focus all of their investigative powers on understanding how they can make a profit. Others, however, are curious about the nature of the world — its structure — and how it extends to societies. If one is curious about order, and simply order, they will find that there is no place for discrimination. Discovering the beauty of investigation entices one to continue discovering. Succinctly, understanding that there are truths about the world that can be deduced given one’s experiences proves to be fruitful.
Caveat: One need not be a mathematician to understand the beauty of discovery. In fact, what I imply is that mathematics catalyzed my curiosity. For other people it is music. They will find analogies between music and their every-day life in a similar way that a mathematician may find analogies between their work and how people interact. Mathematics is, undeniably, a very powerful tool for reasoning. However, it does not suffice to catalyze curiosity. This is why people say that one should study what they love. Through studying what interests an individual, they will find themselves in a better mood and more likely to understand the shortcomings or perspectives of others. Sadly, there are very few individuals who pursue what they enjoy. This can be, again, blamed on the priority a society places on what careers will yield the most gain for an economy. Even if those careers are not natural to the environment. This is not to say that these careers are uninteresting. The banking industry, for example, often proves to be an extremely intellectually stimulating field of work. However, it yields no necessary positive externality on the public. The stock market was created for corporations to reap profit — nothing else. The stock market can be used as an indicator of the well-being of certain factors of an economy, but all-in-all is negligible to the welfare of a society.
In conclusion, that which is true — which may range from the spiritual to the pragmatic — does not require faith, or inborn intellect. All it requires is reason — a tool that is endowed upon every conscious being and one that can be honed and refined. Now, whether or not one’s ability to reason is dependent on their biology is a question that is outside of the scope of this essay. However, I do believe that whatever “intuition” or understanding of the order of entities in the world around you can be improved. With the right teacher — even if the teacher is the environment — and the proper intellectual setting, anyone can learn to reason. Through reasoning, one learns to be sympathetic for those who grow frustrated over trivial matters and understand that often times the emotions elicited in responses are never intended — they are implicit in one’s biology. Though your comprehension of the dynamics by which entities in the world operate (the order of entities in the world) may be naive, with each deduction that you make, your passing model of the world becomes more accurate. I will close with a quote from one of my favorite novels, Slaughterhouse-Five: “Everything that ever has been always will be, and everything that ever will be always has been.”
Curiosity is a favorite topic of thought of mine. So, I will most likely publish essays concerning the benefits of curiosity in the future — or add edits to this essay. Life becomes much more enjoyable when learning is thought more as growth, and intrinsic to life, than a requirement for a superficially imposed structure.
