IGNORANT

 

          IGNORANT

            An ignorant person lacks knowledge or information about something. He is seldom liked anywhere.

There are lots of pleasant and unpleasant synonyms of the word ignorant. Some of these are: unaware of, unfamiliar with, unconversant with, unacquainted with, unconscious of, uninformed about, unenlightened about, inexperienced in , blind to, naïve about, uneducated, illiterate, stupid, ill-mannered, crude, vulgar, insensitive, etc.

            All said and done, it is not a virtue to be ignorant. An ignorant man is uncomfortable in every society. He may create occasions for anger, hatred, repulsion, quarrelsomeness and even bloody fight.

            The English poet-dramatist William Shakespeare (1564-1616) said: Ignorance is the curse of God; knowledge the wing wherewith we fly to heaven. “

 It is another way of saying knowledge is power.

An other thinker claims that it is better to be a beggar than ignorant; for a beggar only wants money, but an ignorant person wants humanity.

            According to the English poet Alexander Pope 1688-1744 “There never was any party, faction, sect, or cabal whatsoever, in which the most ignorant were not the most violent; for a bee is not a busier animal than a blockhead. “

            Pope also said in one of his maxims: A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Finally, one of the most positive quotes about ignorance  by the English poet and classical scholar Thomas Gray (1716-1771) reads as follows :

”Where ignorance is bliss ‘tis folly to be wise. “

                                                **********

G.R.Kanwal

10 September 2024

 

BRAVERY

 

          BRAVERY

‘Bravery’ is both a physical and moral trait. If you show the strength  to fight with your opponent or enemy physically, you display physical bravery. But if you fearlessly expose a dishonest man that he is dishonest and get him arrested legally, you express your moral courage.

Some synonyms of bravery are: courage, daring, fearlessness, fortitude, gallantry, grit, heroism, mettle, spirit, valour, boldness, audacity, guts, nerve, etc.

A brave person is one who is willing to do things which are difficult, dangerous and painful and is not afraid of the consequences.   

The phrase “Brave New World’ is used to refer, often ironically, to a new and hopeful period in history resulting from major changes in society.

In the famous classic of the English writer and philosopher Aldous Huxley (1894-1963)  Brave New World  (Pubished in 1932) “individuality is forbidden and the World State revolves around science and efficiency. In this new society emotions and individuality are conditioned out of children at a young age and there are no lasting relationships”

French General Francis de La Noue (1531-91) said: The bravery founded on hope of recompense, fear of punishment, , experience of success, on rage, or on ignorance of danger , is not common bravery, and does not deserve the name,--True bravery proposes a just end; measures the dangers, and meets the result with calmness and unyielding decision. “   

Finally, this famous quote: One man with courage makes majority.

G.R.Kanwal              **********

9^th September 2024

 

HUMILITY

 

HUMILITY

Humility is defined as the quality of not thinking that you are better than other people.  It is also the quality of thinking that you are not as important as others.

Some common synonyms of humility are ---- modesty, meekness, self-effacement, unpretentiousness and unobtrusiveness.

Humility is a spiritual virtue. It generates love and affection, companionship and friendliness. Arrogance becomes the cause of estrangement  and repulsion.

Humility wins friends; arrogance loses them.

It is true to say that to be humble is to make a right estimate of one’s self. The French critic Nicolas Boilleau (1636-1711) said: There is but one road to lead us to God ----humility; all other ways would only lead astray; even   were they fenced in with all virtues.“

According to the English clergy William Mountford (1816-1885) : It is from out of the depths of our humility that the height of destiny looks grandest. Let me truly feel that in myself I am nothing  and at once , through every inlet of my soul , God comes in , and is everything in me.

The Persian poet Sheikh Saadi Shirazi (12o9/10---1291/92?)  thinks that the beloved of the Almighty are the rich who have the humility of the poor , and the poor who have the magnanimity of the rich.

Finally, some of the best quotes on the subject are: “Humility is the solid foundation of all virtues.” “We come nearest to the great when we are great in humility.” True humility is intelligent self-respect which keeps us from thinking too highly or too meanly of ourselves. It makes us modest by reminding us how far we have come short of what we can be, “  

                                    ************

G.R.Kanwal

8^th September 2024  

 

A V A R I C E

A V A R I C E

‘Avarice’ is defined as extreme desire for wealth. Its exact or approximately exact synonyms are: greed, acquisitiveness, covetousness, materialism, selfishness, self-interest, meanness and miserliness. Whereas greed is difficult to control , avariciousness is almost impossible to get rid of. Consequently, it is dangerous. It goes on becoming limitless.

Fictional stories bearing the title : How Much Land Does A Man Need and   The Golden Touch are a couple of examples  of stupid and fatal greed.   

            It is not only individuals whose greed-based desires get enhanced with age but also whole countries and nations. The Acquisitive Society Published in 1950 and written by R.H.Tawney is a classic in which the author criticizes the selfish individualism of modern industrial societies. According to editorial reviews of this book R.H.Tawney argues that capitalism corrupts via the promotion of economic self-interest, leading to aimless production in response to greed and insatiable acquisitiveness.

            According to the English poet Abraham Cowley (1618-67)  : “Poverty wants some things, luxury many, avarice all things.”

Another English author Daniel Defoe (1661-1731) says: “All the good things of the world are no further good to us than as they are of use; and of all we may heap up we enjoy only as much as we can use, and no more.”

The Roman orator Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 B.C.) has this to say  : “Avarice, in old age, is foolish; for what can be more absurd than to  increase our provisions for the road the nearer we approach to our journey’s end? “

               Finally, here is a great quote to remember:  There is no calamity greater than lavish desires. There is no greater guilt than discontentment. And there is no greater disaster than greed.

G.R.Kanwal

7 September 2024                                                 *******

 

 

FUNCTIONS OF TEACHERS

 

FUNCTIONS OF TEACHERS

There is nothing which lies outside the functions of teachers. Their domain consists of imparting knowledge, cultivating skills, forming attitudes, developing values, building character, providing enlightenment, producing wisdom, etc.

Mothers are the first and incomparable teachers of children all over the world.

Teaching is the profession of educationists and education is not stagnant. Its scope, methodology and infrastructure change and expand rapidly.

Teachers are not totally free to adopt their functions. By and large, they are bound by the curricula and techniques formulated by their societies or states.

In one of his Unpopular Essays published in1950,, British mathematician, philosopher and public intellectual Bertrand Russell says: “In former days a teacher was expected to be a man of exceptional knowledge or wisdom, to whose words men would do well to attend. In antiquity, teachers were not an organized profession, and no control was exercised over what they taught. It is true they were punished afterwards for their subversive doctrines. Socrates was put to death and Plato is said to have been thrown into prison, but such incidents did not interfere with the spread of their doctrines. “

In modern times, education has become one of the biggest professions with an astounding number of schools, colleges and universities with all sorts of general and professional subjects all over the world.

Finally, according to Russell, in modern times : “Teachers are more than any other class the guardians of civilization. They should be intimately aware of what civilization is., and desirous of imparting a civilized attitude to their pupils.”                            *********

G.R.Kanwal

6 September 2024

 

  

TEACHERS DAY

 

TEACHERS DAY

            Today is 5^th September. It was on this day that Dr.Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born in 1888. His death occurred in 1975. He was an Indian statesman, distinguished author, great philosopher of comparative religion and pre-eminent academic.  He served as the second President of India from 1962 t0 1967. Bharat Ratna was one of the many awards he received in India and abroad. It was he who suggested to his students that his birthday should be dedicated to honouring all the teachers.     

            Quoted below on this occasion is  A LETTER FROM ABRAHAM LINCOLN TO HIS SON’S TEACHER. The writer was then the President of America (1861-1865). What he has written in this letter is the summary of an ideal teacher’s functions  which are relevant for centuries to come.

“My son starts school today. It is all going to be strange and new to him for a while and I wish you would treat him gently. It is an adventure that might take him across continents. All adventures that notably include wars, tragedy and sorrow. To live this life will require faith, love and courage.

….teach him that for every enemy, there is a friend. He will have to know that all men are not just, that all men are not true. But teach him also that for every scoundrel there is a hero, that for every crooked politician, there is a dedicated leader.

Teach him if you can that 10 cents earned is of far more value than a dollar found. ….Teach him to learn how to gracefully lose, and enjoy winning when he does win.

Teach him to be gentle with people, tough with tough people. Steer him away from envy if you can and teach him the secret of quiet laughter. Teach him if you can ---how to laugh when he is sad, teach him there is no shame in tears. Teach him there can be glory in failure and despair in success. Teach him to scoff at cynics.

Teach him if you can the wonders of books, but also give him time to ponder the extreme mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun and flowers on a green hill. Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if every one tell him they are wrong.

Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowds when everyone else  is doing it. ………

Teach him to sell his talents and brains to the highest bidder but never to put a price on his heart and soul. Let him have the courage to be impatient, let him have the patience to be brave. Teach him to have sublime faith in himself, because then he will always have sublime faith in mankind and God.

Abraham Lincoln closes his letter with the following words:

“This is the order, teacher but see what best you can do. He is such a nice little boy and he is my son.”

                                                            ***********

G.R.Kanwal

5 September 2024

FATE

 

                    FATE

‘Fate’ is defined as the power that is believed to control everything that happens and that cannot be stopped or changed. Since fate refers to future events, it cannot be known in advance. The English poet Alexander Pope (1688-1744) says: Heaven from all creatures hides the book of fate. Followers of several religions believe that the fate or destiny of every person is pre-written at the time of his birth. Astrologers make horoscopes about it, be they correct or incorrect.

Mythologically, there are Three Fates: Lachesis (that assigns a person’s destiny), Clotho that spins the thread of life) and Atropos (that cuts he thread of life).

Synonyms of fate are listed as: Providence , God’s will, nemesis, luck , pre-destination, pre-determination, chance, astral influence, one’s lot in life; the stars.

Karma theory believes in “As you sow, so shall you reap.”

Science believes in cause and effect theory.

Some poets declare that man is the architect of his own fate.

The English poet-dramatist William Shakespeare (1564 -1616) has this to say about fate: “Our wills and fates do so contrary run, that our devices still are overthrown; our thoughts are ours, their ends none of our own.”

Literary critics find that fate does not play a similarly critical role in the tragic conclusion of each play written by Shakespeare.

Finally, here are three famous quotes about fate:

1.“Fate is not the ruler, but the servant of Providence.—Edward George -Bulwer-Lytton, English novelist (1803-73).     

2.“ Fate is the friend of the good, the guide of the wise, the tyrant of the foolish, the enemy of the bad. –W. R. Alger, American clergy (1822-1905).

3. 2.A strict belief in fate is the worst kind of slavery; on the other hand there is comfort in the thought that God will be moved by our prayers, ---Epicurus, German philosopher (342-270 B.C..

                                                            ***********

G.R.Kanwal

4^th September 2024