Growth.
Everything grows. People, plants,
animals, even single celled organisms can grow into a colony which is
greater than the whole. Our minds grow too. With every word we read,
every syllable we utter, with every image we see, our minds expand
with knowledge and wonder.
It pains me to hear people say they
don't read, they're not into reading. I don't read as many books as I
used to but I'm forever reading articles online, researching and
learning new things. I know someone who doesn't even do that. He
won't play games that require too much reading because he finds it
hard.
I don't know if he has problems with
his eyes, if he's dyslexic, or if he just doesn't like reading. There
are many reasons why someone wouldn't read. But there are other ways
to expand your knowledge. The new Cosmos has a website here
where you can watch full episodes. I don't have tv so I go there to
watch. There is a desire here to learn more.
Physical growth is inevitable for the
majority of people. But mental growth, that's something controlled
solely by the individual. In school we are taught many things, but
retaining them or finding some passion in them to continue learning
long after we've been taught the lesson and the teacher has moved on.
Devouring books, papers, even videos if we can find them. Yes, I know
today on YouTube you can find just about anything. But think back to
when you were in elementary, junior high, or high school. Did you
have the tools we have now?
Learning is so much easier now. A quick
search on Google gives you answers you didn't know you wanted.
YouTube offers videos on how to do so many things. Facebook and
Twitter can be sources of links as well, as you monitor your feed for
fascinating tidbits you can then research on your own later. So much
information is out there, it's up to you to find it and expand your
knowledge and your mind.
Interestingly enough, I feel movies and
video games can do the same. Movies can inspire you to go further, to
reach for distant stars and motivate you to find a new way of seeing
things. Video games – and yes, I know there are some terrible games
out there – can teach you hand/eye coordination, how to solve
puzzles, and give you social interactions.
There are so many ways to grow your
mind. Do something today to give yourself some new knowledge. Play a
game. Watch a movie. Use all of these things to be inspired and to
grow.
Ways to grow your mind, for example, include reading someone's etymology posts :)
ReplyDeleteYes, the etymology posts are a very good way to grow your mind. :)
DeleteI have a teaching colleague who actually said she doesn't "read books." I about passed out. My favorite video game is still Frogger.
ReplyDeleteHow can you teach and not read? That just doesn't make sense. You have to continue expanding your mind in order to expand the minds of your students, don't you?
DeleteAs the wife of a gamer, I know that video games aren't mindless. Watching hubby play, I see a lot of challenges and puzzles that require thinking and strategy. That can be the genius of some things: they are so fun you don't realize you're learning something until there comes a time you're in a situation where you need that knowledge. =D
ReplyDeleteMy husband plays all sorts of games that cause him to think about puzzles and make decisions based on logic. He loves them. He's also a technical person and things like this fascinate him.
Deletewonderful, thoughtful post, Annikka. I don't get that "I don't read" either- although I extend that to audio books- my mother really doesn't let my dad have the time to read, so it's audio books in the car when she can't prevent him for listening. then I think of people with "I hated reading in school"- well if you're an adult now, you don't have to read like you did "in school"- read how you enjoy doing so :)
ReplyDeleteI count audio books as "reading". It doesn't matter if you're not reading a written word so long as you're getting something out of it. Music is another good way to expand you mind because of all of the different types and cultures behind it.
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