REALITY CHECK FOR TEACHERS, LOVERS, WRITERS, AND LOVERS OF LANGUAGE

Posted on May 27, 2003 by Dave Pollard
dolphin A thoughtful and provocative quote from educator John Holt (1923-1985) from How Children Learn:

We teachers – perhaps all human beings – are in the grip of an astonishing delusion. We think that we can take a picture, a structure, a working knowledge of something, constructed in our minds out of long experience and familiarity, and by turning that model into a string of words, transplant it whole into the mind of someone else.

Perhaps once in a thousand times, when the explanation is extraordinarily good, and the listener extraordinarily experienced and skillful at turning word-strings into non-verbal reality, and when the explainer and listener share in common many of the experiences being talked about, the process may work, and some real meaning may be communicated.

Most of the time, explaining does not increase understanding, and may even lessen it.

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6 Responses to REALITY CHECK FOR TEACHERS, LOVERS, WRITERS, AND LOVERS OF LANGUAGE

  1. Art Jacobson says:
    May 28, 2003 at 11:02

    Wittgenstein, I believe in “Philosophical Investigations,”said: “If a tiger could speak English you wouldn’t be able to understand it.” Possbly makes the same point.

  2. Dave Pollard says:
    May 28, 2003 at 12:03

    What a wonderful quotation. A writer named Barbara Gowdy wrote a book called The White Bone to try to convey life from an elephant’s point of view using English expressions that reflect how an elephant sees the world, feels, and thinks. She called it the most difficult task of her life. Reading the book is also hard — you need to completely suspend your mental models — but worthwhile.

  3. Dina Mehta says:
    May 28, 2003 at 20:12

    This is a beautiful quote !Two of my favourite quotes immediately come to mind … “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” Albert Einstein”Reason says, “I will beguile him with the tongue;”Love says, “Be silent. I will beguile him with the soul.” Rumi

  4. Dave Pollard says:
    May 29, 2003 at 07:40

    Thank you, Dina! You’ve given me the lead-in quote I need for my essay, The Third Way in the value of intuition.

  5. ed nixon says:
    May 29, 2003 at 09:00

    Thanks Dave. In fact it did turn out to be provactive. I was of two minds, but finally put some comments up at http://www.lynnparkplace.org/vot/archives/webdream/000037.htmlRegards. …edN

  6. Dave Pollard says:
    May 29, 2003 at 18:51

    Very impressive analysis Ed. My comments are over at your place. BTW, didn’t realize you’re a fellow Ontarian. I’m curious whether you found my blog by subject matter or by GeoURL?

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