We live in a unique time in history. Our generation is embarking on a renaissance which the world couldn’t have imagined a few decades ago. With the invention of the printing press and the internet we have unprecedented access to knowledge and information. Few would disagree that we are living in a privileged time. But few recognize the responsibility we have to be stewards of the information at our finger tips. Are we taking advantage of the wealth of free resources? We can pick any topic we want and look it up online. We can go to the library and check out a book, or even purchase it from Amazon. This is a revelation that is relatively new to me. And while I’ve had a few moments of epitome in actively pursuing knowledge about a topic,
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Most people are at least familiar with his name. Anyone who reads history hears his name mentioned with some frequency. For millennia military leaders including Hannibal, Julius Caesar, and Augustus have been striving for accomplishments that rival his. Julius Caesar, after his military campaigns in Gaul and the civil war over Rome, is said to have lamented that his campaign was nothing compared to that of Alexander. Napoleon Bonaparte even imitated his offensive strategy from the battle of Gaugemela. Alexander the Great’s life and conquests set the standard for what it means to be a true military champion. Even the name Alexander “the Great” wasn’t adopted posthumously, but taken during his life. So who was this great …show more content…
Previously I thought that reading fiction like watching television. Last month I read an article by Gary Saul Morson, who believes that we’re currently in a literary famine. He makes the case that many schools aren’t selling their literature classes to the students in a way that draws them to enjoy and appreciate the classics. In describing one benefit of reading literature he says, “By identifying with a character, you learn from within what it feels like to be someone else.” That article was a revelation to me about the educational value of reading fiction.
The point remains still that these are opportunities knocking on our door daily. Every day we encounter something we don’t understand. We ask questions. We don’t have to kill ourselves looking for the answers, they’re only a book or an article away. We need to cultivate a hunger and a discipline for taking initiative to seek the knowledge hidden under our noses. I hope that one of my stories will bring an appetite to someone else who has questions about the way the world
Most people are at least familiar with his name. Anyone who reads history hears his name mentioned with some frequency. For millennia military leaders including Hannibal, Julius Caesar, and Augustus have been striving for accomplishments that rival his. Julius Caesar, after his military campaigns in Gaul and the civil war over Rome, is said to have lamented that his campaign was nothing compared to that of Alexander. Napoleon Bonaparte even imitated his offensive strategy from the battle of Gaugemela. Alexander the Great’s life and conquests set the standard for what it means to be a true military champion. Even the name Alexander “the Great” wasn’t adopted posthumously, but taken during his life. So who was this great …show more content…
Previously I thought that reading fiction like watching television. Last month I read an article by Gary Saul Morson, who believes that we’re currently in a literary famine. He makes the case that many schools aren’t selling their literature classes to the students in a way that draws them to enjoy and appreciate the classics. In describing one benefit of reading literature he says, “By identifying with a character, you learn from within what it feels like to be someone else.” That article was a revelation to me about the educational value of reading fiction.
The point remains still that these are opportunities knocking on our door daily. Every day we encounter something we don’t understand. We ask questions. We don’t have to kill ourselves looking for the answers, they’re only a book or an article away. We need to cultivate a hunger and a discipline for taking initiative to seek the knowledge hidden under our noses. I hope that one of my stories will bring an appetite to someone else who has questions about the way the world