They say that every new experience you have sculpts you, and every person contributes a new element to your own personality. They say that you are an amalgamation of all you have been through. Experiences that stray from what you are accustomed to induce the appearance of a new trait or perhaps refine what had always been there but didn’t have much utility in the place you were before. I could not agree more.
A few days prior to my leaving the University of Connecticut and saying goodbye to my mentors for what may be the final time, I asked a friend about the difference between being intelligent and knowledgeable, as we were both surrounded by an abundance of information and standing as witnesses as in the very labs where we worked old theories about the brain or nuclear physics were overturned. I wondered which of the two was most vital to becoming wise. I’m still not sure that I can speak definitively either way.
A few days prior to my leaving the University of Connecticut and saying goodbye to my mentors for what may be the final time, I asked a friend about the difference between being intelligent and knowledgeable, as we were both surrounded by an abundance of information and standing as witnesses as in the very labs where we worked old theories about the brain or nuclear physics were overturned. I wondered which of the two was most vital to becoming wise. I’m still not sure that I can speak definitively either way.
I saw my first sunrise. I walked to breakfast through a leafy expanse every morning to see family of deer poking their heads out from the mist in the 7am quiet. I napped in the shadow of baby trees that protected me from the sun’s rays while still allowing me to partake in its warmth. I handled and fed rats to find that they are adorable little creatures, even though they have the tendency to nibble your fingers. I obtained a greater amount of knowledge than I even hoped for. Beyond learning about the mechanisms of the brain and the nervous system, I learned what is entailed in pursuing a degree, outside of solely the academic elements; for example the logistics of visiting home, plotting an academic course that may keep you in the intermediate space between college and a job of your dreams for three years even after 8 years in school, what it means to be a member of greek life, and the struggles involved in being largely self-reliant. I acted as a member of a cohesive team working together to find answers, so I went in to the lab much earlier than I needed to and left later than was required. The hours spent enclosed in a room together and away from the sun’s rays ultimately made us all really close, and the professional respect soon was laced with camaraderie as well. I believe my mentors to be not only remarkably intelligent but also admirable people. Because of the time I spent with them I am changed.
Maybe wisdom is the intersection of knowledge and intellect. Experiences that expand your worldview and capacity to reason yield intelligence. Information learned through studying and deliberate exposure to individuals who know more than you gives knowledge. Both bring you that much closer to one day becoming wise and contributing to the bank of knowledge collectively maintained with every new addition to the human race.
So this post was something different. It’s an example of a writing exercise called “one word”. What you write should in theory largely revolve around the word you chose. As I have had so many positive experiences in these four weeks, I figured this entry could be more of an introspective reflection. I hope you liked it.
So this post was something different. It’s an example of a writing exercise called “one word”. What you write should in theory largely revolve around the word you chose. As I have had so many positive experiences in these four weeks, I figured this entry could be more of an introspective reflection. I hope you liked it.
Voulons-vous d'écouter en français? Vous savez ce que vous devez faire. ( Want to listen in french? You know what you should do. )