LIFE, LESSON, LEARNING, LEANING, EMOTION Vs RATIONALE

 

LIFE, LESSON, LEARNING, LEANING, EMOTION Vs RATIONALE

Obviously, a title that looks disjoint[ed] simultaneously hops territories in a bid  to bring together facets related and yet remaining distinct,  justifying the disjointed state of the components therein . A title of the kind being considered owes itself to the all-too-important domain named “personal experience”-a consequence of birth itself. The uniqueness of the process of ‘living’ is that despite the harsh realities, none seems deterred from undertaking the process of living –a sheer fight for survival. Survival is but an essential requirement for ‘living’. Though seemingly associated with life “survival” and “living” are not one and the same and neither is absolutely independent of the other. What are life and living? Perhaps they are the noun and verb! Life and living signify just one thing comprehensively summarized as “experience” Experience as known to each is distinct and exclusive to self and ‘recalling it ‘requires visiting the dark corridors’ of the mind rich in nostalgic store –no matter how young the person is.                         The inevitable inference that one is driven to is to look back the path already travelled in pure hope of peace and prosperity –a goal that looks universal by appeal to all, at least among the members of the Indian society-irrespective of the domestic state of each individual.

Quite different things constitute ‘Experience’. Is experience a memory? or understanding of something? , Acquiring knowledge? Or getting an idea of doing what and when? Or something of everything listed above? There could be a few more components –not listed here, though integral to the phenomenon “experience”. Experience is something personally gathered after any work or exercise and it can never be taught by any length of narration.

EXPERIENCE HAS NO GURU, IN THAT THE EXPERIENCE IS ITSELF THE ‘GURU’ This ‘GURU’ is too individualized for a specific knowledge and the learner. Thus, each one has innumerable ‘gurus’ –some in human form and the rest without a form to describe. But the ‘form-less guru’ is more powerful an educator, as things are taught in just one act or session, better than  even the best of  human Gurus. In plain terms experience is a lesson ; the lesson is imparted by ‘personal learning’ without having to understand any theory thereof. Curiously, all learning cannot be left to the mercy of ‘gathering by experience’. Education as conceived by societies and civilizations has a set of protocols for imparting knowledge through propagation of ideas /steps of approaching a goal and the avoidance of pitfalls in the process. None of those prescriptions apply to ‘experience’;it is a  literal practical demo of ‘how to understand’ –the fastest way  and has the inimitable advantage of ‘teaching with certainty’ of assured impact. If, on occasions someone fails to ‘learn’ from experience ,too often the individual lacks the alacrity –vital to learn . Generally learning from experience, leaves a lasting impression on the recipient.

Most learning implies ‘correlating’ –the cause and the effect.   Curiously, experience works as a ‘cause’ and its efect is ‘learning’. Obviously, learning arms the person to relate effect to a cause and vice-versa. Thus true learning can render the learner –analytical. To be anaytic or an analyst, the person should scrupulously stay neutral [not taking sides] in assessing the truth. The crux of the suggestion is the value of Learning as against that of Leaing. Leaning on to something or a view before analysis is a clear sign of ‘bias’. Bias readily destroys analysis. With one’s analytic ability under seizure by bias , the person takes a side as a protogonist of a notion. Despite ‘education’ if a person takes a stand in favour of X or Y , it implies that emotion takes a firm grip over rationale.

Rational thinking requires dispassionate assessment of facts and circumstances. Truly unbiassed minds desist the temptation of succumbing to personal likes/preferences which reflect Emotional leaning. That is why , ‘leaning’ fails to justify “learning”. Leaning on a pet notion or belief interferes with neutral/ dispassionate disposition in making a judgment. With skewed leanings , the person is described partisan ,as emotion rules better of his/her rationale.

Thus life is an ensemble of knowledge, experience, emotion and rationale-too complex to define in plain terms .True learning should desist the temptation to leaning on pet notions without any objective analysis. Hope to have effectively ruined morning’s tranquility, effortlessly

Prof. K.Raman