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To the Seeker of Knowledge
Old advice for the modern lifelong learner
Modern society often treats education like a book with a final chapter. Once we’ve finished school, the book is closed, the story presumably over.
But for many of us, the desire to learn, to explore, to understand, continues to burn. It’s a constant struggle to reopen that book, to write new chapters in the story of our intellectual lives.
But in the past, the pursuit of knowledge extended throughout life, a journey undertaken from youth to old age. Now, that path is obscured by the thicket of daily responsibilities, and time itself has become the greatest obstacle.
It’s a constant struggle to rediscover that path, to clear away societal expectations and the crushing weight of our to-do lists, and reclaim the right to learn and grow at any age.
This struggle is precisely what I was experiencing recently when I came across a beautiful ancient Arabic poem on YouTube.
The rhythm and imagery captivated me, and I was keen to learn more about the poet. My search for the author led me to another equally compelling poem on the same theme of pursuing knowledge.
They spoke to the very real struggles of learning and perseverance, and they’ve become a surprising source of motivation.
