The Need For Study
No, I’m not talking about the kind of studying you do in school.
While critical analysis and memorization certainly have their place when it comes to proper study, they are far from the central purpose.
No, study should serve as a tool for self discovery; a means to better defining yourself in relation to the world around you. It is an intrisic and fundamental part of self actualization, the primary mover of a natural curiosity that has served us well in our constantly evolving pursuit to understand our reality.
This is how we change ourselves for the better.
Deliberate study is the equivalent of taking a long hard look at your naked self, body, mind, and spirit in order to refine them. You give yourself the freedom to hone aspects of yourself that make you better and, hopefully, discard those aspects of yourself that make you worse.
It’s been said that thought is the prerequisite to action, but proper study is the prerequisite to improving thought.
The Art of Observation
An overly simplified definition of what study is might be the following:
Study is the art of observation
It is through observation that we begin to understand anything, and it is through practice (which is arguably applied observation) that we invite what we study to take residency within us.
This is allowed to happen because what we pay attention to is what fundamentally shapes our reality. The more we focus on something, the more of our attention we allow it to have, and the more it influences our world view.
This is what makes study such a powerful tool.
Taking this seriously and becoming intentional in what you study is the practice of changing your reality on a fundamental level. It is taking that which might serve in becoming better, more efficient, more balanced, and moving it from head to heart; letting it seep into the fiber of your being and allowing it to become a part of you.
Where to Start
This is going to vary from person to person. It is dependent on your strenghts, weaknesses, tastes, your interests, etc.
Because of these differences, it is ultimately up to you in what you choose to study.
You have to do your own research here, but a good place to start is by asking yourself a simple question:
What do I seek when I think of the word ‘truth’? What subjects, when pondered upon, will allow me to better not only myself, but also the world as an extension of doing so?
If you begin from this place, you will find the answers you need. It will require you to take a good hard look at yourself, to determine your own strengths and weaknesses. Find out where you lack, where you excel, and compensate for the difference.
Lastly, embed within yourself a desire to continuously learn. The human animal was made to learn, made to think and act and grow as a consequence. Realize that the only thing you truly know is the fact of your own ignorance, and let that liberate you. Be excited that you know so little, because it only means you have the freedom to learn so much.
Good luck, and study hard.
