Think of the experiences you have had that you remember the most clearly. Chances are they are the experiences which had the most affect upon your emotions. They are the experiences that ended up shaping who you have become and they are the experiences which will stay with you for the rest of your life.
How do you know not to touch fire? Chances are you have before and remember just how much it hurts. Touching the fire is linked to pain so much so that you will always remember to be careful around it lest a disaster occur.
When we learn new things, the experiences that entice our emotions tend to be the things we retain the best. The things we learn when we are excited tend to stay with us throughout life. Sadly, this is why a lot of the information we get exposed to at schools is lost so quickly; it means nothing to us.
Beating the Monotony
Many of the things we learn are so laced with emotional content because life just unfolds in that way. Sometimes, though, we have no choice in the matter; dullness and some experiences go hand in hand. To beat this dullness, there has to be some sort of connection made; we have to be able to see how the current experience connects to prior experiences. We have to be able to use some imagination in thinking about the subject matter.
Discovering our connectedness to the subject matter will help us become emotionally involved in the content. The information comes to life and suddenly our curiosity is piqued.
Achieving this is not easy. Some classes seem so far away from everyday life that no one could get excited about them, but life does not always hand us the key for growth. Sometimes we have to use a little imagination and a little resolve to learn more about our world.
There are many possible ways a person can live their life. Different people pursue different careers, hobbies, possessions and personalities. But while we all strive to achieve our own different place in the sun, we are all also interested in whether or not the life we choose is a life worth living. There are many facets of a good life: A strong sense of self, wholesome relationships, and a virtuous character. My goal is to explore these different areas, decide whether or not they are worthy endeavors, and try to make them practical if not for my own personal life, then for you the reader. Mitchell Sahlfeld http://allmustendure.blogspot.com |