As an undergraduate student majoring in Creative Writing, I have to take numerous literature courses, but one of the most fascinating classes I’ve taken so far at the University of Central Florida is World Literature II. In this course, before reading each novel, poem, or short story, we read a biography of the author, and all of them were very well-versed. The authors seem so knowledgeable about everything.
This is where I noticed a trend. Instead of our textbook stating things like, “They went to college and majored in the following:” it was more like “They went to college and studied these five different subjects while also learning four different languages.”
For example, Irish playwright and poet Seamus Heaney went to college and studied English language and literature while also learning Irish and Latin. Pakistani poet and author Faiz Ahmed Faiz learned Urdu, Persian, and Arabic while also pursuing Arabic and English studies. Later in his life, Faiz pursued two master’s degrees, taught at various colleges, served in the British Indian Army, and worked as an editor. They all did so much, even as college students.
I, on the other hand, can feel my curiosity waning, and maybe that’s just what happens when you grow older, but something about it is different. In an age where students are encouraged to study whatever will earn them the most money, it feels like nobody has time to foster an actual desire to learn. It breaks my heart every time I talk to a friend who is studying something STEM-related, and when I ask them “why?” they respond with the phrase “they make a lot of money” instead of “I’m passionate about it.”
I think the distinction between the great thinkers of the past and the great thinkers of the present is important and more relevant today than ever. Honestly, there aren’t many names of current inspirational thinkers that come to mind.
On that note, you also might have heard that we are getting dumber. According to the U.S. News, IQ levels are declining rapidly, with media consumption being cited as a key contributing factor. Maybe I’m just spitballing here, but especially as I run through each semester, I can’t help but think by churning out endless workers, we’re killing our creativity and passion for knowledge in the process.
Why learn something if it won’t make you money? Why learn something you can easily Google, and why learn something if you won’t use it in your day-to-day life? Why learn something for the sole reason of learning something new about the amazing and constantly evolving world that we live in?
As I attend each LinkedIn workshop and networking reception, I feel saddened I have more of a drive to attend these than I do to learn. We have our whole lives ahead of us, and college especially is a period of rapid growth in both personal and professional development. I’ll have my whole life to be busy with work, so why not busy myself with learning something new right now?
Reading about the accomplishments of philosophers, writers, and artists of the past has motivated me to push myself to do as much as I can while I’m enrolled in courses. I feel inspired to pursue every possible reading challenge, join dance classes, learn how to crochet, and go to the library to check out “French for Dummies,” “Hindi for Dummies,” or “Swahili for Dummies.” The possibilities are truly endless.
We’ll never be in our 20s again, so let this be your sign to pursue knowledge, not for a class, not to market yourself better, not to increase your chances of getting a job, but for the sole purpose of learning something new.