Tag: Education

Philosophical musings

“How cruel is man’s ignorance!”

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Isn’t this quote so true? ​

You know… ignorance isn’t just the lack of study, learning, or certificates.

No, ignorance is the lack of understanding, of seeing and feeling what is true and real.

By the way, don’t you agree that education is not the opposite of ignorance? In other words, a farmer with basic education may have more knowledge than a qualified teacher. The farmer’s knowledge is usually enriched by wisdom, while the teacher’s is measured by certificates. 

So… can we agree that the opposite of ignorance is understanding?

Education, power, wealth, and fame do not necessarily produce knowledgeable people. Ironically, these supposed sources of knowledge feed and entertain ignorance more than they cultivate true knowledge. 

And this type of ignorance is available in abundance, but it is deaf and blind.  

It spreads lies, hides the truth, and fights against cultivating knowledge.

That’s why ignorance is cruel, so cruel indeed.

But there is some good news. Over the years, ignorance has always surrendered to knowledge. Not only that, this cruel ignorance has lived by the light of knowledge, yet it never recognised its validity until it was too late. 

All we need to avoid falling into the trap of ignorance is to understand, and to see and feel things not only with our minds, but also with our hearts.

And…

Remember, knowledge is understanding, and understanding is the first step towards wisdom, and wisdom is light, and there’s always light at the end of the tunnel.

With hope and peace,

Nahla

personal thoughts

A Well – Furnished Mind

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Having a well- furnished mind is usually interpreted within academic qualifications. But is that the only method to furnish and nourish our minds? Take your time to think about it. I did take mine while reflecting on my own experience

You have to go to school to learn, then to universities to earn a degree, and if you can afford it, pursue the higher level of postgraduate studies. At each stage, our minds are expected to grow and develop — and they do, unless incidents like cheating and plagiarism are involeved. That’s why education has become the most powerful weapon both nations and individuals strive to possess. And, this is how I have been raised, following this strategy. Still this strategy is not the only method to effectively furnish your brain.

How did you feel when you finished your academic studies and stepped into the real world? Did you feel as if you had entered a new phase of practical education taught through real life experiments in real life labs? Did you feel this confrontation shaking you to the core because, in most cases, you were not ready to learn more or to abondon what you had already spent years learning. That’s exactly how I felt after my graduation.

I have learned and am still learning more from life — with its people, its places, its changes, and its ups and downs. I’ve learned from reading,  imagination, writing, and blogging. All of  these things and more have nourished and furnished my mind. You know what?  I really feel blessed to be a full — time mother, because it has given me more time to become the person I truely like to be.

With hope and peace,

Nahla

Just writing

You Are Flawless!

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How would you feel if you receive this message first thing in the morning?

Elated! That’s how I felt after I had finished an entire French unit on my Duolingo app with only a few typos. I really felt that I deserved it. It’s not becuase my French is perefct. I hope it will be one day, but my current level is high B1 level on the CERF scale, which means I can handle most daily situations.

The main reason, I felt I really deserved this compliment is that I made the best of my time early morning. During the weekends, I usually do just one lesson on Duolingo because it’s the weekend: my family’s gathering day. However, today I got up at four o’clock and couldn’t get myself to sleep again. An hour later, I decided to do my lesson. But when the first went smoothly and perfectly, I did the second, third, fourth, and so on. Actually, I think I did more than ten lessons.

Don’t I deserve “You are flawless” compliment?  Of course, I do.

My French learning journey started many years ago at high school. Back then, I didn’t like it because I found it too hard to write what you don’t pronounce. But my marks were good. At university, as I was studying for my English degree qualifications, I had to learn another foreign language. Though French would have been a perfect choice since I had already studied some of it, I decided to study Spanish instead. It’s really disappointing how I can hardly remember any Spanish, but if you don’t practice a language, it will fade away from your brain. But then, why this didn’t happen with my French? Honestly, I don’t know why.

I started my Duolingo sessions during the lockdown, mainly to encourage my daughter to keep on her French lessons. Surprisingly, I found out that my old French lessons were still stored in the back of my brain, waiting to be revived and used.

Scientifically, learning a different language is so beneficial for your cognitive health. It’s like challenging your brain to speak, read, communicate, and understand in more than your mother tongue. In this way, your brain becomes more alert, flexible, and smarter. And, socially, it’s a credit to your social status, professional opportunities, and literary creativity.

Have you ever read the concept of a dead language? It refers to the language that is not widely known but locally practised. However, I don’t like it, becuase even if a language is not widely known, it’s still honoured by its own people which means it’s not truely dead.

How many languages do you wish to learn or have already  learned? I’m just curious to know.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla