Casual Conversation

YES IT IS! epiphany

 

I woke up this morning thinking about a professor I had for a class in university. He was excellent at teaching and extremely intelligent. We became good friends after the class was done and are still friends. I will never forget what he said regarding his definition of intelligence - it is the ability to make connections.

He was/is a staunch supporter of education as well as exposure. People like him help open minds. They foster wonder and curiosity, for what is education after all, if not curiosity. It begins with asking, "Why?"

Education doesn't make people smart or haughty, in my opinion. It makes people confident and capable. It is one of the best gifts we can give ourselves.

So...thank you my friend and mentor for your support and encouragement.

I wonder if any of you have a favorite teacher or professor that inspired you in some way..

 

I'm being inspired from people on .org.

I'm being inspired by faith and friendship.

I'm being inspired by £ove and €arming.

I'm being inspired by learning and teaching.

I'm being inspired by life.

 

While I like the idea of what he's saying, the problem with this is that it isn't just the ability to make connections. It is the ability to make rational connections.

Too many times we see people who believe themselves to be intelligent because they made "connections," without bothering to examine whether any of the connections they made actually make any sense. In my experience, the most intelligent people I've ever met -- or, more accurately, "wisest" people -- are folks who never pontificate on subjects or pretend to share their wisdom. They mostly just go about in life and their intelligence shines through by the things they say and do.

As for my view? I'm too cynical to have a useful view. I think everyone is just sort of full of shit.

 

That makes a lot of sense, Wino. I am jaded/cynical so i agree with you.

I got more inspiration from some of my students than I ever got from any teacher or professors.

 

Yes, that's a given.

 

Probably because you fostered that type of environment.

 

Faded, I've not had teachers you, but I wish I had!

My kids have had teachers like that.

In many ways, our parents are our First teachers, but the teaching never ends. Neither does the £ove or €aring

That's what defines a special teacher, IMO.

 

You'd think it was a given. The problem is that once someone has decided that a connection makes sense (to them), they believe themselves to have become knowledgeable. In other words, a sane person doesn't generally make connections they know to be untrue.

Too often what happens is people believe themselves to be wise because of the things they have purportedly learned through their life. Yet, when the connections they have made are held up to the light of day, it becomes rather obvious that the person is incapable of making sensible connections. Unfortunately, it's usually that person who feels most compelled to share their self-professed wisdom

 

Intelligence is in the eye of the beholder. Most people, upon finding someone who thinks as they do, think 'what an intelligent fellow!'

 

That's usually true, too.

 

Often people become experts by learning a bunch of 'facts' about an assumption which it turns out is not true or is a made up world, like the law It's important in this society to know the law, but it's not like it's an immutable law of science, it's just agreement upon agreement that has be agreed to ;D over time.

 

Which is why laws change over time as the population collectively learns its lesson about relying on "facts" that weren't true at all.

 

And that brings us back to....statistics.

Around and around we go.


HEY, we're having a conversation!!! YAY!

 

I agree.

 

What is that law that says the degree of certainty is inversely related to the degree of accuracy?

 

One of the most influential people I ever knew was an "uneducated" sheep farmer. That man had a kind ,gentle soul, he was patient. He knew more about human nature than any prof I ever encountered. The farmer had poor grammar, was always dirty, but I loved spending time with him and the sheep. It's a pity he wasn't able to share himself with more people, but I am ever so grateful that I knew him and that I was able to learn from him.

 

No doubt, Rose. I am a firm believer in Gardner's multiple intelligence theory.

 

Hi, everybody, have a great day!

 

I buy most of the multiple intelligence theory. My farmer friend , George would have fallen into the naturalistic category. When I think about my relationship with him, I learned more from his actions than from anything he actually said. Sometimes when it comes to verbalizing, less is more. When people tend to bang on and on, I tune out.

I'm so old that I was taught Jean Piaget!