Education is very important in a person’s life, as it can make a person knowledgeable in the field of his choice. It helps a person grow in a civil society. Education is an investment in the future, as a person’s life is impacted by it, and it has the chance to better a person’s quality
Month: October 2018
Education throughout history: The Excalibur or the Round Table?
If the pen is mightier than the sword, teach a man to read and you’ve armed him for a lifetime. He is now equipped with the most useful and versatile weapon he could imagine: one that will help him earn bread and butter, prompt his personal development and generally make his entire life better. Some
No One Wins in the Win-Lose Approach to Conversations
Listening is an art form, and like most art, it is interpreted differently by every person. Some people listen intently, hanging on every word, trying to understand what is being said. Others, pretend they are listening and give the appropriate head nod or “mm hmm”, but are not actually interested in responding or carrying on
A Right to the Rich, A Privilege to the Poor
Growing up, most of us have probably been told that completing our education is a must, and while that much is true, the line we’ve drawn between whether it is a right, meaning it is something everyone should have, and whether it’s a privilege, meaning it can only be experienced by a blessed few, is
Solitary, Satisfied
“If you are lonely when you’re alone, you are in bad company.” It wouldn’t be odd to say that this quote seems a little off. Really, who wouldn’t be lonely when they’re alone? Isn’t the very essence of loneliness the feeling one feels when they are, in fact, alone? And how could you possibly be
Free
The girl lifted her head to look at the mountain towering before her, the light drizzle caressing her face as she inhaled the crisp cool air. Soon, she would be free. Free and flying like a bird, and there was no turning back. Nobody could stop her now. *** Everyday, the girl would return to
With hope in their hearts
Parenting is one of the toughest jobs on the planet. As a parent, it is our primary responsibility to ensure that our children are happy, healthy and safe. No parent wants to see their child hurt. No parent wants to see their child suffering or going through a difficult time. As long as they are
How to decrease misunderstandings and increase cooperation by listening to understand
“Most People Don’t Listen With the Intent to Understand – They Listen With The Intent To Respond” – Stephen Covey I agree with Stephen Covey’s quote wholeheartedly. I’ve seen a lot of examples of this in my job as an interviewer for a third-party insurance underwriting company and in my personal life. I’m also guilty
Turn Prisons Into Schools
“He who opens a school door, closes a prison.” – Victor Hugo It is pre-eminent to define these two important words in the quote to pave the way towards one’s understanding. A school is an institution designed to provide learning spaces and a learning environment for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers,
Learning French
“Most people don’t listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” – Stephen R. Covey In teaching us a foreign language, my high school French teacher didn’t want us just to listen and understand – he wanted us to reply! The class was a revelation – Bernie F., our teacher,
The Edge
I tread carefully over the gravel and debris that covers the cliff top. As I reach the edge I can feel my backpack becoming heavier and heavier. Like my thoughts it’s weighing me down. I let it go. The fluorescent thing falls to the ground and my toes curl in my heavy boots. I clench
Unbroken Chains
“He who opens a school door, closes a prison.” – Victor Hugo. Victor Hugo also said, “Rich minds think before they act, rich souls love before they hate, and people rich in both do not go to prison.” Grace was born in the late sixties in a country that did not care about her education.
The art of being lonely
The idea of being lonely stems from the concept of being alone. If you are without people around you or with people you do not particularly connect with, you are alone. If you are upset about being alone, then you would be considered lonely. Fairly simple, yes? Not quite. See, this concept does not take
When the Land is Safer than the Water
“you have to understand, that no one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land” (Warsan Shire) We have to understand, in the words of Warsan Shire, that nobody puts their children in a situation that is dangerous unless they have no other choice. The poet reminds those of
The Art of Listening
Listening is a talent just like drawing a picture. It takes practice. Today’s generation isn’t taught to listen with the intent to hear and learn, just to regurgitate fiction and repeat. Today’s generation can’t hear over the “hear me, see me, be me” selfie poses. Instantly gratified by a thumbs up or smiley emoji response.
He Who Opens A School Door, Closes A Prison
Over the years, human society has been unfair to unlettered jailbirds. We often show unschooled convicts the way to the prison yard faster than we helped them read a school signboard when they were younger. We never asked ourselves: what if he had been to school? Would he have been a prisoner or a president?
Listening to Understand
Listening is an art form. For some it is a natural ability, for others it takes a bit more practice to get good at it. It is in listening completely, overriding the natural instinct to create your next reply before fully hearing the other person out, that I believe leads to Stephen R Covey’s statement