Here are the responses received…
Hans Lautrup Nørgaard
Founder at Learning Shop
I agree to some extent…Then in some cases I have knowledge my students couldn’t possibly possess, in which case they would have to listen to me in order to move on.
But I do get your point, and I have a wonderful (I think) example:
I was teaching Microsoft Office to a class at the business college where I work. At this point I had gone through Word , PPT & Excel and was about to reveal the world of databases – in this case Access – to them.
Somehow I totally failed to explain the idea of using relational databases instead of simple lists (e.g. in excel). They probably considered me a pain as I insisted they must learn and understand the use of relational databases.
Finally I gave and told them to make such & such a database as a list in Excel. I gave them 2 hours.
After 2 hours they returned and told me that it couldn’t be done. I told them, that I agreed; it couldn’t be done…in excel. That is why we have relational databases!
I now had their full attention AND motivation, and they ended up making nice little relational databases in access.
Mary Lascelles (ReloMary)
Moving Coordinator/Relocation Director at Moving Links 4 You
Some people learn by watching others make mistakes.
Some people need to make mistakes to learn.
Having spent more years on the planet than my kids, I dearly want to just tell them what’s going to work – and then – realize they’ve got to do it their way to figure things out. It sticks better. And it enriches their lives to experience things firsthand. It helps them find whatever it is – within!
JingJing Xia
Student at University of San Diego“
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
On the most basic level, you can cover for a co-worker once or twice when he/she is late or you can help a homeless man by buying him lunch. But it is up for them to realize the reasons why you must be punctual or why you should educate yourself. Yes you can give them a lift some days, but it is not until they realize core reasons of a problem can they truly become better.
Essentially you cannot give a man a fish everyday, he’s got to learn how to fish himself.
Michael Peterson, PHR
Recruitment Supervisor at Sharp HealthCare
Perhaps mine is a mix of light hearted (but true) and more serious observations/quotes.
There are three people in the world that you should never argue with: people that insist their memory is perfect, people that think they are great singers (when they clearly aren’t) and people that won’t listen.
You regret the things you didn’t do much more than the things that you did.
You should study what you are interested in while in college… if you love it enough, you will find a way to make money using it and will lead a happy life. People from other fields (including your parents and friends) may dissuade you from studying it because, since they don’t have the same feelings for the field, they wouldn’t have the passion necessary to drive one to success.
Live a good life but always live to your values and not anyone else’s. Make sure the key elements of your life match your values including your family, your work and employer, your friends, etc. If something does not match enough, it might be time to move on… they will only hold you back.
A hundred years from now, it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in or the kind of car that I drove… but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.
Be the change in the world that you want to see
First give of yourself
Thanks!
Mike
Alexandra Lajoux
CKO at NACD
My paternal grandmother was fond of reminding us all that “educate” means to “bring out.”
Douglas Harper’s online etymological dictionary gives the pertinent details: “Educate: 1447, from L. educatus, pp. of educare ‘bring up, rear, educate,’ which is related to educere ‘bring out,’ from ex- ‘out” + ducere ‘to lead’ (see duke). Meaning ‘provide schooling’ is first attested 1588 in Shakespeare….”
Links:
Jeff Dyck
Founder of Our Change
“You can lead a donkey to water but you can’t make him drink.”~ A very wise man
You can teach a man to fish, but there’s always going to be one guy who hates to fish.
Sydney Morgan Diamond
CFO/Controller at Sound Answering & Business Svc (dba Sound Telecom)
My philosophy is that I can teach anyone any skill (that I know), but I cannot teach “heart” – that “heart” or desire, must come from the student.
Indira Chaudhry
Banking Professional
Teaching is a total waste if one does not wish/want to learn….or who is already learned/wise….
I heard the phrase ” you can teach a man to fish” and then I came to this page to read about the phrase.
I had it before, but now I have it better.
Thanks.
thanks for responding Chris.
This is indeed TRUE. We already have all knowledge. Brain is just a muscle, which once directed or practiced well makes us recall and utilize this knowledge repertoire.