“Education is not the filling of the vessel, but the kindling of a flame.”
-Socrates
“Wherever I go in the United States these days I hear of something called the crisis of discipline, how children are not motivated, how they resist learning. That is nonsense, of course. Children resist teaching… but nobody resists learning.”
-John Taylor Gatto
“I can’t teach anybody anything. I can only make them think.”
-Socrates
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These quotes aptly apply to the education process for children. But they apply to all people. Authentic learning occurs when the individual desires to do so. You can’t push a man up a ladder he doesn’t want to climb.
If you have ideas, opinions, philosophies, or beliefs that you desire others to share, consider appealing to their curiosity, their self-interest, and to the Socratic method. If you approach a conversation with the mindset of, “let me tell you what’s right,” you will likely be resisted. This is because all humans have a need for autonomy. People want to decide and understand concepts within the context of their previous knowledge.
Very rarely has a person during conversation/debate stopped dead in their tracks, realized they were utterly wrong, and did a 180 in agreement with the opposition.
If you pose thought-provoking questions, connect on aspects with which you both agree, create bridges of empathy, and plant seeds rather than pour concrete, perhaps you will make someone think. Then, 1 day or 100 days after the conversation, he or she may be on a walk, subconsciously wrestling with the discussion, and arrive at a conclusion independently.
Maybe the particular connotation of “teach” to which I am averse is one that neglects the teacher each of us has within ourselves.
Cheers,
Joel
