Increasing the Landscape of our Mind

One of my fondest childhood memories was when my mom would gather the entire family into the living room each night. First, my dad would read a chapter or two of the Bible, and then he would lead us in prayer. After our Bible study ended, Mom would read a book to us children. Sometimes she read us a humorous and fun book. However, wanting to make sure our education was well-rounded, she would also read us solemn works of history. Reading both the Bible and other classical works not only helped us to develop an appreciation for ancient manuscripts, but also bonded us as a family. Each of us was completely invested in the characters and the tribulations they had to overcome, whether these characters were real or completely fictional. Because my mom had instilled a love of learning into my spirit, I was only able to grow from the seeds she planted.

Sadly, the state of education these days seems to consist of few textbooks and teachers approaching education liberally but often deliberately omitting components of history from their students. Some students might reject a liberally based education just as James Schall describes Callicles doing in “Artes Liberales” (25). While Callicles rejected a liberal education based on his decision to pursue a political career which had little room for a troubled conscience, some students simply may not have the same access to liberally based resources like Callicles did. I have been blessed with mentors who have led me in the right direction as well as provided curriculums and books to help me have a more well-rounded education but many others have not had the same opportunity. My mother learned in a Christian K-12 school which provided her with a solid Christian education but did not teach her about any history outside of what is found in the Bible. Until she transferred to another school, she did not even realize how diminished her knowledge of the world and much of its history was. In other words, before she left her school, she was as Schall says, “Not free to know that [she] did not know” (25). When she started to homeschool us children, my mom made sure to provide us with liberally based resources which provided us with the freedom to pursue knowledge. 

However, some young students simply lack the desire to seek out the truth or examine perspectives different from their own, no matter how many opportunities are made available to them. The reason may be because of a troubled conscience, again such as Callicles (Schall 25), or perhaps of pure laziness. After all, learning may be one of the greatest joys of mankind (Schall 33), but it still requires effort on the part of the student. Working towards our goals can be tedious, and the faint-hearted will abandon their aspirations easily. Nevertheless, the effort and work we put into learning can and will produce fruit. The fruits of our tedious labor come in many different forms, but I firmly believe our greatest accomplishments reveal themselves simply in learning something new. Schall is absolutely correct when he remarks, “Just to ‘know’ something is itself a pleasure, even if we must learn to enjoy it” (27). Almost nothing compares to the light in a child’s eyes when he first learns something new, or even to the dose of serotine that courses through our brain when we finally comprehend a subject our minds have been struggling to understand. Students who lack the desire to learn often miss out on these types of experiences, never realizing the joy in learning. Despite many lazy students, there are still a few students who consider different perspectives. 

In an effort to be liberally educated, students must constantly search for books and materials that will increase the landscape of their growing minds. I find reading older manuscripts helps our minds interpret the world better. Schall was not far from the truth, if it all, when he claimed that “students who read Plato, Aristotle, St. Paul, and St. Augustine often are struck to find themselves brought more up to date, in a way, than when they read the New York Times or the latest textbook” (27).  One of my favorite past-times is to read an old history book or muse over a philosopher’s work and realize the parallels between the world then and the world now. Although a few centuries apart, the similarities are almost endless. Students must be wary of what they read because these choices can either stunt or grow their mind.

Our minds are quite similar to a plant. A mentor (caregiver) will plant a seed within your mind, and from there, this plant can branch out and grow into a magnificent tree with blooming flowers sending even more seeds to be planted into the endless garden of our mind. However, to grow into a magnificent garden, our minds must be taken care of properly. Much as a plant needs the proper amounts of light, water, and oxygen, our minds must be carefully provided with the correct resources. Making the right decisions in what we decide to read and listen to is crucial to maintaining a balanced mind.