To be a student or to not be a student -

[Balthazzar]

Would I be considered less able to shed light on an issue by remaining a student of a subject or by claiming title of teacher? I ask this because I have greater liberty as a student to be wrong than a teacher might by mere association and proclamation of that title. On that same note, would remaining a student suggest lack of conviction or would claiming to be a teacher suggest a lack of conviction?

To teach or not to teach - Are you a student or a teacher? Does it matter what we claim to be to those who might understand a need?

Carts and horses or would it be horses and carts? Which is pulling which? The egg or the chicken?

 

[Revoltingest]

Let the quality of your work be what matters?

 

[Balthazzar]

Let the quality of your work be what matters?

I remember my grandmother making mention of someone and something she didn't understand or approve of. This lady (my aunt) had declared to my grandmother that she was a fulltime student. I'm thinking when she's telling me this "What's wrong with that?" Anyway, I imagine my aunt to be a brilliant woman and for that reason, specifically.

 

[Quagmire]

Would I be considered less able to shed light on an issue by remaining a student of a subject or by claiming title of teacher?

Probably the former. Titles and claims need to be defended, which can cause us to become defensive, which can lead to all kinds of problems.

Once you have a stake in a particular position it's easy to lose perspective of the overall picture.

Even if it's just a matter of giving more weight to the variables that support your conclusions just because they do, and downplaying or even dismissing those that don't.

It's just human nature. Once you present yourself as a representative of a particular position your ego comes into play and that can cause you to lose sight of the purpose of the purpose of the conversation.

I ask this because I have greater liberty as a student to be wrong than a teacher might by mere association and proclamation of that title.

Exactly.

On that same note, would remaining a student suggest lack of conviction

Lack of conviction isn't necessarily a bad thing If it translates to flexibility of thought and open-mindedness.

or would claiming to be a teacher suggest a lack of conviction?

Claiming to be a teacher can lead to an undue attachment to a conviction.

To teach or not to teach - Are you a student or a teacher?

I think every one of us is both, and I think a lot of what we wind up teaching each other is unintentional.

Does it matter what we claim to be to those who might understand a need?

Not sure I understand your question.

Carts and horses or would it be horses and carts? Which is pulling which? The egg or the chicken?

As long as somebody's learning something I don't think it matters who's teaching who.

 

[Balthazzar]

Probably the former. Titles and claims need to be defended, which can cause us to become defensive, which can lead to all kinds of problems.

Once you have a stake in a particular position it's easy to lose perspective of the overall picture.

Even if it's just a matter of giving more weight to the variables that support your conclusions just because they do, and downplaying or even dismissing those that don't.

It's just human nature. Once you present yourself as a representative of a particular position your ego comes into play and that can cause you to lose sight of the purpose of the purpose of the conversation.


Exactly.


Lack of conviction isn't necessarily a bad thing If it translates to flexibility of thought and open-mindedness.


Claiming to be a teacher can lead to an undue attachment to a conviction.


I think every one of us is both, and I think a lot of what we wind up teaching each other is unintentional.



Not sure I understand your question.


As long as somebody's learning something I don't think it matters who's teaching who.

Greater credence goes to those we accept as our teachers.

 

[Quagmire]

Greater credence goes to those we accept as our teachers.

I think it's a good idea to accept everybody as a teacher.

 

[Balthazzar]

Even when we know or recognize an error in a teaching, which is still teaching us something, if only about someone else and how we relate and process what we're earning from them. We learn from everything and everyone, no matter how great or how small the lesson being learned and/or expressed may be. I accept the premise. I think we do this mostly, anyway. I guess maybe it's in the acknowledgement that we find ourselves the student, the teacher, and sometimes both.

 

[Balthazzar]

@Quagmire

For example: I remember reading something of a quote attributed to einstein. It's more like a few quotes attributed to him. In any case, they ended up not belonging to Einstein, yet they conveyed to me greater truth's than what I had previously accepted to be. It may have been a deceitful practice to entice persuasion, but even in that possible, the deception (if deception at all), opened up new windows inevitably leading to greater truths. I would define this "window of exploration" a portal of sorts, that may not have been acknowledged otherwise, given the credence I give to Einstein.

How often do we negate and reject those we view to be lesser knowing or credible than ourselves?

 

[Quagmire]

@Quagmire

For example: I remember reading something of a quote attributed to einstein. It's more like a few quotes attributed to him. In any case, they ended up not belonging to Einstein, yet they conveyed to me greater truth's than what I had previously accepted to be. It may have been a deceitful practice to entice persuasion, but even in that possible, the deception (if deception at all), opened up new windows inevitably leading to greater truths. I would define this "window of exploration" a portal of sorts, that may not have been acknowledged otherwise, given the credence I give to Einstein.

I'm not sure how falsely attributed quotes happen. My guess is that the most common scenario is that the false attribution happens somewhere along the line of transmission.

Or maybe someone sees a quote that they like but doesn't know who it's from, so they go ahead and attribute it to somebody that they already respect, or that they know other people respect to give it weight.

Who knows. Brand recognition never hurts.

And if something's worthy of being attributed to Einstein, I guess it might as well be his.

But for me, truths and pearls of wisdom should stand on their own. If I read something that resonates with me and it's by an author I've never heard of before, that opens for me, as you say, "a window of exploration" but in the other direction.

I don't think that reading a quote and then seeing that it's by somebody I know and respect is going to add anything to it that wasn't already there for me. It my reaffirm what I think about the author, but it doesn't necessarily work the other way around (again, for me).

How often do we negate and reject those we view to be lesser knowing or credible than ourselves?

All the time, and often at our expense.

 

[Balthazzar]

I'm not sure how falsely attributed quotes happen. My guess is that the most common scenario is that the false attribution happens somewhere along the line of transmission.

Or maybe someone sees a quote that they like but doesn't know who it's from, so they go ahead and attribute it to somebody that they already respect, or that they know other people respect to give it weight.

Who knows. Brand recognition never hurts.

And if something's worthy of being attributed to Einstein, I guess it might as well be his.

But for me, truths and pearls of wisdom should stand on their own. If I read something that resonates with me and it's by an author I've never heard of before, that opens for me, as you say, "a window of exploration" but in the other direction.

I don't think that reading a quote and then seeing that it's by somebody I know and respect is going to add anything to it that wasn't already there for me. It my reaffirm what I think about the author, but it doesn't necessarily work the other way around (again, for me).

All the time, and often at our expense.

That's the point I was making. So, we sometimes negate people who we think to be less than, based on many, many variables, so this is why I suggested some people utilize name recognition to help seed something true. For example: My signature quote. Some may get the impression that it is one from a historic "Balthazzar" and not from me utilizing the name on a message board, which makes it no less true but could be viewed as misleading by some people not in the know. It doesn't truly matter who it comes from when it's understood, but utilizing the name Einstein would add to its validity. The same is true in life between cultures and life philosophies, between the secular and religious worlds and you are correct, we negate others often enough at our own expense.

 

[CeilTempest]

I like how Jim Rohn sums it up - "Be a student, not a follower.". The title shouldn't matter, whatever your title always remain a student of life in any area of life. With a student mentality, you can never stop learning.