Do, Learn, Enrich!
Do, Learn, Enrich!
How do we learn to swim? Do we sit in a classroom and learn all about water and how we can navigate our bodies through it by using different techniques, and then hit the pool like an Olympic champion? Do we learn how to ride a bike by studying the laws of physics, the effects of gravitational pull, and then launch ourselves into the top spot in the Tour de France? Neither of these make a lot of sense–we will either bob in the water or simply fall down and scrape our knees a lot if we depend solely on education.
The knowledge comes from the doing. Let this story from John Holt explain:
“Not many years ago I began playing the cello. Most people would say that what I am doing is ‘learning to play’ the cello. But these words carry into our minds the strange idea that there exist two very different processes: 1) learning to play the cello; and 2) playing the cello. They imply that I will do the first until I have completed it, at which point I will stop the first process and begin the second. In short, I will go on ‘learning to play’ until I have ‘learned to play’ and then I will begin to play. Of course, this is nonsense. There are not two processes, but one. We learn to do something by doing it. There is no other way.”
Whenever we want to learn a new skill, whether it be for work or personal satisfaction, we can’t absorb it by osmosis. We must take on our boss’ challenge or pick up the paintbrush, or sign up for that cooking class.
Enrich your life and do!
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