Follow your passion, and success will follow you.
Arthur Buddhold
I shall elaborate on this one, give me some time.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Lernen, lernen, immer lernen!!!!
Hello guys. Phaneromaniac positively hopes that you all are having a good time.Amen!
For, I am going through some really “test”ing times. I have set myself on getting into a B-school this year and thus have subjected myself to the onslaught of these extremely eerie entrance exams. Knowledge is the currency, they say. But does being educated only means being knowledgeable? By the way, how do we define knowledge? Oxford version says, “Knowledge means the information or awareness gained through experience or education.” Does that mean that experience and education are interchangeable? For most of us would agree that whatever skills we learned through the first hand experience at the jobs, we would never have learnt in the technical schools or colleges. Then what do they teach us there?? I think Martin H Fischer has an answer. He says, “Education is the process of driving a set of prejudices down your throat”. And Fischer is not an Indian!!
Though prejudices sounds a bit harsh I agree with Fischer in the sense that rarely we are encouraged to counter the argument or ask questions to the teacher. In fact there is hardly anyone who asks questions, for most of the students are sitting there as a ritual and not to be enlightened. Very few of them know what use they are going to make of all the facts they are storing in their “eager, young” minds. Gilbert K. Chesterton crisply sums up their predicament. “Education is the period during which you are being instructed by somebody you do not know, about something you do not want to know.” This reminds me of my engineering days!!! By the way, Gilbert Keith Chesterton was an influential English writer of the early 20th century. Chesterton was equally at ease with literary and social criticism, history, politics, economics, philosophy, and theology. His style is unmistakable, always marked by humility, consistency, paradox, wit, and wonder. In fact, Chesterton has been called the “Prince of paradox.” The Everlasting Man, The Napoleon of Notting Hill, The Man Who Was Thursday, Orthodoxy are some of his most famous works.
Another charge that is usually leveled at the process of education is that it kills creativity. However, “Creative minds always have been known to survive any kind of bad training.” I quote Anna Freud. Anna Freud, daughter of Sigmund Freud, is considered as the founder of child psychoanalysis field. Anna Freud's work emphasized the importance of the “ego”, and its ability to be trained socially. Anna Freud developed different techniques of assessment and treatment of childhood disorders, thereby contributing to our understanding of anxiety and depression as significant problems among children.
Here is one more interesting perspective. “Bodily exercise when compulsory, does no harm to the body; but knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind.” – Plato. How true! How true!! No matter how many times I mugged up those principles and equations of Power Systems, I never retained them for a stretch of more than 24 hours!
But honestly, this thing education, studies they are not all that bad. People around us, like teachers, parents, never tell us that we are nor expected to become scientists, mathematicians, historians and literary giants, all at the same time. From everything that is being taught to us we need to identify the field which interests us the most, the area with which we are comfortable and forge a career in that direction. As Malcolm S. Forbes says, “Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one”. An open mind, one that carefully listens to all the arguments, weighs the pros and cons and then takes the decision. A mind free of prejudices and trained in using reason while dealing with facts to come to the conclusions.
I end with this Aristotle quote, which is even more instructive.
“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”
Please do share your views. Adios.
For, I am going through some really “test”ing times. I have set myself on getting into a B-school this year and thus have subjected myself to the onslaught of these extremely eerie entrance exams. Knowledge is the currency, they say. But does being educated only means being knowledgeable? By the way, how do we define knowledge? Oxford version says, “Knowledge means the information or awareness gained through experience or education.” Does that mean that experience and education are interchangeable? For most of us would agree that whatever skills we learned through the first hand experience at the jobs, we would never have learnt in the technical schools or colleges. Then what do they teach us there?? I think Martin H Fischer has an answer. He says, “Education is the process of driving a set of prejudices down your throat”. And Fischer is not an Indian!!
Though prejudices sounds a bit harsh I agree with Fischer in the sense that rarely we are encouraged to counter the argument or ask questions to the teacher. In fact there is hardly anyone who asks questions, for most of the students are sitting there as a ritual and not to be enlightened. Very few of them know what use they are going to make of all the facts they are storing in their “eager, young” minds. Gilbert K. Chesterton crisply sums up their predicament. “Education is the period during which you are being instructed by somebody you do not know, about something you do not want to know.” This reminds me of my engineering days!!! By the way, Gilbert Keith Chesterton was an influential English writer of the early 20th century. Chesterton was equally at ease with literary and social criticism, history, politics, economics, philosophy, and theology. His style is unmistakable, always marked by humility, consistency, paradox, wit, and wonder. In fact, Chesterton has been called the “Prince of paradox.” The Everlasting Man, The Napoleon of Notting Hill, The Man Who Was Thursday, Orthodoxy are some of his most famous works.
Another charge that is usually leveled at the process of education is that it kills creativity. However, “Creative minds always have been known to survive any kind of bad training.” I quote Anna Freud. Anna Freud, daughter of Sigmund Freud, is considered as the founder of child psychoanalysis field. Anna Freud's work emphasized the importance of the “ego”, and its ability to be trained socially. Anna Freud developed different techniques of assessment and treatment of childhood disorders, thereby contributing to our understanding of anxiety and depression as significant problems among children.
Here is one more interesting perspective. “Bodily exercise when compulsory, does no harm to the body; but knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind.” – Plato. How true! How true!! No matter how many times I mugged up those principles and equations of Power Systems, I never retained them for a stretch of more than 24 hours!
But honestly, this thing education, studies they are not all that bad. People around us, like teachers, parents, never tell us that we are nor expected to become scientists, mathematicians, historians and literary giants, all at the same time. From everything that is being taught to us we need to identify the field which interests us the most, the area with which we are comfortable and forge a career in that direction. As Malcolm S. Forbes says, “Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one”. An open mind, one that carefully listens to all the arguments, weighs the pros and cons and then takes the decision. A mind free of prejudices and trained in using reason while dealing with facts to come to the conclusions.
I end with this Aristotle quote, which is even more instructive.
“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”
Please do share your views. Adios.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Aim High - alwayse
" The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it,but that it is too low and we reach it" - Michelangelo.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Champions
Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them: A desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill. (Mohammad Ali)
This is something that I have alwayse been believing since my childhood days, but the unfortunate part is I was never able to implement on this. There are umpteen qoutes on the miracles that a strong will power does to a person. Most of the people are unsuccessful coz the do not have stamina to persist till the very end. This, as we all know, is an era of instant gratification and we people lack the persistence that is required to make the difference. A strong will power is a big asset and some one has rightly said that
"Your greatest strength is in pursuing longer than anybody else can"
At this point in time am also reminded of another example you would like to read about - Micheal Phelps
This Olympian trains for 6 hrs a day regularly. Does that seem to be something very great to you. Not at all. Now if I say that he does not even miss the practise on Christmas. What's the feeling like? This is the kind of will power that you need to make a difference.
Life has many turns,enjoy every turn becoz it never returns..
This is something that I have alwayse been believing since my childhood days, but the unfortunate part is I was never able to implement on this. There are umpteen qoutes on the miracles that a strong will power does to a person. Most of the people are unsuccessful coz the do not have stamina to persist till the very end. This, as we all know, is an era of instant gratification and we people lack the persistence that is required to make the difference. A strong will power is a big asset and some one has rightly said that
"Your greatest strength is in pursuing longer than anybody else can"
At this point in time am also reminded of another example you would like to read about - Micheal Phelps
This Olympian trains for 6 hrs a day regularly. Does that seem to be something very great to you. Not at all. Now if I say that he does not even miss the practise on Christmas. What's the feeling like? This is the kind of will power that you need to make a difference.
Life has many turns,enjoy every turn becoz it never returns..
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
I Quote!!!
A very good morning to all our viewers where-ever you are!!!!!
Starting my first post with a quote,of course. Now if you watch cricket matches regularly, especially when India is involved you would know whom I am quoting. Yes that's the only line Ravi Shastri has ever used over the years to start his day at the commentary box.
Before moving ahead let me introduce myself. I am Phaneromaniac (one who obsessively chews his nails, if you like to be specific.) and the love for quotes has brought me here, to contribute in Gajanan's endeavour to share his favourite quotations with you people.
In "First Upload", Gajanan quotes Honere de Balzac. That reminds me the first line of Mario Puzo's "The Godfather". Puzo quotes Balzac and it goes like this:
"Behind every great fortune there is a crime".
Now that looks a bit pessimistic to me. What say, guys?
Few days ago I read this very interesting line from Voltaire, the 18th century French philosopher. He says:
"Everything that is too stupid to be spoken, is sung!"
I love songs and particularly of the romantic genre. So this line you know, kuch hajam nahi hoti.
Why are these philosophers so pragmatic? Or is it that they have this seen-it-all, done-it-all kinda attitude which makes them a bit detached??
Guys, do let me know what you think about the quotes. Why I am not just "cut-paste" ing quotes is because one forgets them as quickly as one forgets his maths lessons. So if we can discuss the quotes, we can have a better understanding of them and we can learn the art of picking, remembering and quoting appropriate quotes when the situation demands us to.
So keep reading and have a nice time. Adios!!
Starting my first post with a quote,of course. Now if you watch cricket matches regularly, especially when India is involved you would know whom I am quoting. Yes that's the only line Ravi Shastri has ever used over the years to start his day at the commentary box.
Before moving ahead let me introduce myself. I am Phaneromaniac (one who obsessively chews his nails, if you like to be specific.) and the love for quotes has brought me here, to contribute in Gajanan's endeavour to share his favourite quotations with you people.
In "First Upload", Gajanan quotes Honere de Balzac. That reminds me the first line of Mario Puzo's "The Godfather". Puzo quotes Balzac and it goes like this:
"Behind every great fortune there is a crime".
Now that looks a bit pessimistic to me. What say, guys?
Few days ago I read this very interesting line from Voltaire, the 18th century French philosopher. He says:
"Everything that is too stupid to be spoken, is sung!"
I love songs and particularly of the romantic genre. So this line you know, kuch hajam nahi hoti.
Why are these philosophers so pragmatic? Or is it that they have this seen-it-all, done-it-all kinda attitude which makes them a bit detached??
Guys, do let me know what you think about the quotes. Why I am not just "cut-paste" ing quotes is because one forgets them as quickly as one forgets his maths lessons. So if we can discuss the quotes, we can have a better understanding of them and we can learn the art of picking, remembering and quoting appropriate quotes when the situation demands us to.
So keep reading and have a nice time. Adios!!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Random Quotes
Thought is the labour of the intellect, reverie is its pleasure
Just as iron rusts from disease, even so does inaction spoils the intellect.
The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it
Just as iron rusts from disease, even so does inaction spoils the intellect.
The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it
Saturday, September 27, 2008
First upload
Equality may perhaps be a right, but no power on earth can ever turn it into a fact.
Honore de Balzac
Charming people have something to conceal, their total dependence on the appreciation of others. - Cyril Connolly
For every ailment under the sun
There is a remedy or there is none,
If there is one, find it out,
If none, never mind it.
"You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life."--Albert Camus
"As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it."
"A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut first and Honest people are screwed first."
The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it. – W M Lewis
Personality can open doors, but only character can keep them open. – Elmer G Letterman
You always pass failure on the way to success. - Mickey Rooney
A goal is a dream with a deadline. - Napoleon Hill
Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.
Henry Ford
"Life is not a problem to be solved, but a gift to be enjoyed"
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