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How important is it to you to take action on the basis of what you learn?
Some of us learn almost entirely for the pleasure of it. Others see learning primarily as an investment in career. Others feel compelled to use their learning for a tangible productive purpose beyond achieving understanding and beyond providing commentary from the sidelines on other people's actions (or lack of sensible actions).
How important is it to take action on the basis of what you have learned? Is taking significant action a regular part of your life or more an intention for the future?
Gail . 50+
What action did I take upon recognizing the magnitude of the problem? How did I empower myself when I could see no way to effect meaningful change?
# of characters prevents a full answer, but it came to me in 2 steps.
First I examined my own worldview, which allowed me to see I had been part of the problem. It was a thorough and exhaustive examination of my beliefs. It took both courage and determination to throw out long-cherished cultural beliefs for which facts or logic existed to prove them wrong. This took years of self-education and SELF-education .
Only after this was I able to choose how I would address the problem. An empty pitcher cannot fill the glasses of others. The sense of dis-empowerment you feel is evidence that your own pitcher is empty. First you must fill it.
When you know yourself, you will see how you can begin to fill the glasses of those who thirst. And only then will you see how you cannot force another to drink. This contrast shows you windows of opportunities, and with those windows of opportunity, the indoctrinated sense of disempowerment that you perceive will begin to evaporate from your worldview
The answer to all your questions begin with the suggestion: Become self-aware. You are not what you think that you are. You have been lied to. You are a powerful being. You have learned how to use your own power against yourself – thus others. This leaves you feeling disempowered. Find your power. That will show you how, when, why, where, and who.
Wade Crum
Julie Leon
Gail . 50+
When I learn something, my worldview changes. As my worldview predetermines my actions, then the new learning integrates itself into my behaviors.
On a less existential level, some things that are learned need practice. Others need testing. Others need talking about so that I can see myself think - thus exposing what I have learned to constructive criticism.
I learn for the sheer joy of learning. I differentiate between "formal education" and "education". The first has done too much damage to my life. The second has brought joy and purpose that is not money driven.
Jared Kirschner
Fritzie Reisner 100+
Mariah (McMillian) Bohannon
Try creating a life purpose statement that describes HOW you want to live instead of WHAT actions you will take during your lifetime. Then go back to your life purpose statement before taking action to make sure it aligns with how you want to live.
It may not be perfect, but at least it gets you moving if movement is what you seek.
Fritzie Reisner 100+
JEFF D.
THEN YOU CAN FIGURE WHAT YOU LIKE DOING (ALONGSIDE OTHER THINGS YOU CAN ALSO FIGURE OUT)---IT COULD BE MORE THAN ONE THING, OR IT COULD ONE MAIN THING, AND A LOT OF OTHERS THINGS NOT AS IMPORTANT. YOU WOULD KNOW WHICH THING/S YOU LIKE TO TAKE ACTION ON, WHEN YOUR BRAIN, HEART, SOUL, SUBCONSCIOUSNESS ETC--ALL AGREED. YOU WOULD LIKE DOING WHATEVER YOU CHOOSE.... YOU WONT EVEN MIND NOT GETTING PAID FOR IT. THEN ONCE YOU CHOSEN THE THING/S YOU REALLY LIKE TO DO, ENABLE YOURSELF TO DO IT. (SOMETIMES PEOPLE CHANGE, BUTS THAT'S OK, EXPLORE UNTIL YOU FILL COMPLETE DOING WHAT YOU DO) EXAMPLES------EINSTEIN LOVED SCIENCE/MATH ETC THAT'S ALL HE THOUGHT ABOUT ALL DAY, EVERYDAY. , MAGIC LOVED BASKETBALL THAT'S ALL HE DID, AND THOUGHT ABOUT. WHEN YOU DO WHAT YOU LIKE, IT DOES NOT FEELS LIKE WORKING, IT FEELS LIKE DESTINY. ANY OTHER MOTIVATIONS WILL NOT MAKE YOU WORK AS HARD AS YOU SIMPLY BEING EAGER TO DO WHAT YOU LIKE---NOT MONEY, NOT AWARDS, ETC. AS FOR MYSELF I LIKE TOO MANY THINGS-THEREFORE I WILL DO ALL OF THEM.
JEFF D.
if scientist and inventors didn't take action on the basis of what they learned , we probably wouldn't have new tech, and new stuff every-year.
i only take action on the basis of what i learned when i want to.
its very important. more for the future.
george lockwood 20+
Dan Geurin 10+
Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice, shame on me.
pat gilbert 50+
Another thing that I wanted to add to this is that apprenticing is imperative, which is why Germany excels as it does.
Fritzie Reisner 100+
I am reminded of hearing from a mother some years back that her daughter understood "the concepts" in her math class but could not use them in application. To my mind if one cannot use concepts, ones level of understanding only skims the surface.
Still, there is a difference between not knowing how to take action and not choosing to take action.
pat gilbert 50+
My main point as you know is that only actions and application change anything. Emotions are irrelevant. But interest is imperative but interest is not an emotion interest is focus and interest is the grease of communication which is where ideas are created but that is what leads to application
walter crockett
paul Ashton
I believe that taking action is a pursuit of change. As an agent of change, you are subject to change. Do you want change?
I think actualized people seek to learn and take action more so than those who are distracted by inner reflections or conundrums.
A sense of imminent discovery in a transistional age of technology and quantum wonderments drives my learning.
Also, spiritually speaking, the amazing reconciling between physical (fractal math, quantum computing, multiple infinities, black hole information retention theory) and meta physical principles (dimensional planes, conciousness manifestation in noetics, shakras, hell, even aliens as demensionsal and not terrestrial visitors
Fritzie Reisner 100+
paul Ashton
Fritzie Reisner 100+
Debra Smith 200+
I loved your comment and particularly learned from this part:
"I think actualized people seek to learn and take action more so than those who are distracted by inner reflections or conundrums."
Yes, I am not sure i would say it that way but I agree that many earnest people are distracted and occupied by inner conundrums. What I do see is that these inner conundrums can be created by the capacity to question and find nuance or by brokeness in their functioning. Either way, both are valid uses of the energies to me, and both are growth and an additional reason to treat others kindly. Remember that old idea that one person represents the world enitre? If so, this is an example to me of how the entire world's functioning and forward momentum can be stalled by wounding one mind. Thanks, Paul!
Robert Winner 50+
In politics colege kids are pons and are disregarded after the election. Ethnic voters are sucked in with promises that are not allowed under the Constitution. All of the dreams come from executive orders not congressional action. This is done to teach you I am good .. they are bad and usually come in election years to garner a vote.
So my point is that what is learned needs to be processed prior to implementation. Any one who has read any of my posts know I encourage research and action. I preach get in the game. That you may disagree have a reasonable dialog, hopefully with an open mind. That is also part of the learning process.
Make sure the light at the end of the tunnel is not a on comming train.
Best of luck. Bob.
Fritzie Reisner 100+
Mariah (McMillian) Bohannon
I comepletely agree with action after research. Not to say that sleep walking parents or the KKK can't teach us anything. They are capable of teaching us what not to do if our minds are opened at some point during our lives.
So I would like to add that conscious thought is also an important part of researching and taking any type of action in regards to what you've learned, regardless of where you've learned it from.
Yuguo Zhang 100+
Simba P.K.S
The irony is that, people with have learnt often jump ahead and take actions!
Fritzie Reisner 100+
Mariah (McMillian) Bohannon
I am an introvert, but if something strikes me as important enough and it matches up with my values, I will uncomfortably take action. I'm even willing to work through feelings of possible failure. However, I also brainstorm to a degree that I've pretty much talked myself right out of that fear.
If I fear failure, then I take it to mean that I haven't come up with the most effective solution to a problem. In other words, I am more inspired to take action when i have developed what I feel is the best possible soultion to the problem I aim to solve.
Simba P.K.S
Mariah (McMillian) Bohannon
Sure. Lots of people act without fear of failure, at least on the surface.
I know some people who are confident in everything they do, regardless of why that confidence exists (not caring about the outcome, naturally optimistic, positive reinforcement from others, etc). I also know some people who are more confident in taking action after research. Then there are those who aren't confident in anything they do and are the most affected by fear of failure.
I happen to fall into the category of people who find more confidence in taking action after research.
Now you have me wondering how many other categories are lurking out there and how many other self-directed learners find confidence in the learning process as well...
Simba P.K.S
And doesn't bold decisions have to come from within?
Mariah (McMillian) Bohannon
You're right in a sense, but I think that the bold ideas are what come from within, not necessarily the decisions.
Let me speak from my own experience here and say that I spend most of time brainstorming (and researching) a very wide variety of topics. During this time, my brain is storing away all kinds of novelties for future use, but I won't know when I need to use them until that time comes.
Now, fast forward a bit to a time when I do need to make a spur of the moment decision.
I've been storing novel ideas for quite a while now and my brain has plenty to draw from...sometimes even mixing ideas together for better effect. So I am now able to make a decision that's bold and innovative right there on the spot.
So to backtrack to Fritzie's original question (hi Fritzie), the importance of taking action on the basis of what I learn is directly guided by the context of the situation. I may be in brainstorm mode where I'm just toying around with thought puzzles or I may be in a situation that warrants pulling out the old file cabinet of ideas from those brainstorming sessions.
Basically, if I keep learning, I'll always have bold ideas to use when it comes time to make instantaneous decisions. And no, I didn't reseach this reply, just in case you were wondering lol.
Sandra Sev-usw
1. We can acquire certain skills
2. We can learn about certain facts in our respective fields of studying or profession (this seems to be what was meant by the question, right?)
3. We can learn about facts concerning our environment (like other people, politics…)
(1.) In most cases, people will use their skills all the time; the only difference might be how they use them. I study philosophy, so I am good at analyzing stuff. Now I could use it to analyze a text, which is within my field of studying, or I can go beyond that and use them to be a volunteer at a crisis-hotline for teens and kids. The question is, if you can tell, which one is more significant and for whom.
(2.) In this case it certainly depends on what you do. In my case it is quite hard to take significant actions (whatever that might be); it is more likely that what I have learned will shape the way I see the world and how I act in it. But in that respect I basically do act on what I have learned, I just don’t go out and seek situations in which I can do it - they come to me.
(3.) This is the part, where I believe, my actions come more directly from a fact I have learned. I hear about an injustice, a personal problem of a friend (…) and I decide to do something about it. This of course has a direct link to first two points, because the things I will get involved in are certainly decided by the way I see the world and how I will get involved will depend on my personal skills.
So in the end for people like me the question isn’t whether I learned entirely for pleasure, because there simply is no other reason, but if I am able and willing to take (1) and (2) and put it to good use (or: significant action) in respect to (3), and maybe, if I am lucky enough, to make a career out of that.
Fritzie Reisner 100+
I agree that just as people used to say "you are what you eat," we are influenced in daily actions, however trivial they may be, by the things we learn. So in that respect we might all say that by definition we act on what we have learned. We learned to walk and act on that. We learned of someone's "bad acts," and we might flinch at his photo or avoid hearing him speak on a news interview program.
Talking to our friends is also technically an action and when we share what we have learned, whether an idea, story, or gossip, we have acted in a sense of having done something.
My particular interest was that we might consider the balance in our lives between , on the one hand, ideas we only talk about figuring there is a chance others might act on the basis of what we have shared and , on the other hand,engaging in action that goes beyond discussion. Your crisis hotline is an example.
One of the issues that arises when learning is transformed mainly into conversation, even when it is about a public issue, is that one often has to get closer in an on-the-ground sense to the guts of an issue before one truly understands it and certainly before one can help use ones insights to effect change.
Bharath Kumar Kunjibettu 10+
As the famous saying goes : Actions make habits and habits make a character.
Fritzie Reisner 100+
Bharath Kumar Kunjibettu 10+
Don Wesley 50+
I found and watched:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0242n7MPbM
TEDxEast - Oskar Eustis- A Public Place
Feyisayo Anjorin 50+
Application of what is learnt is not just the application of the ideas thought by teachers; but by this, I mean an increased capacity for critical thinking, and a broader perspective that enriches reasoning.
In Nigeria for example, there are numerous failed institutions headed by individuals who have studied in various Western universities. With the failure, what makes them better than someone who has never gone to school and is probably clueless about the workings of modern governance?
Learning without applying the knowledge, would be like the Bible's revelation of the Devil and Demons. They know all the scriptures, but they do nothing about it.
Don Wesley 50+
The second compound question "How important is it to take action on the basis of what you have learned? Is taking significant action a regular part of your life or more an intention for the future?" hits the nail on the head.
It is imperative to take action; and staying alive, with awareness and a careing attitude means all the time. Life is not a playground; I choose to call it a grow-ground; beautiful and fun.
Barry Palmer 50+
IMO, a persons values are her/his actions. People live their values. I try to apply this to myself, and when asked what I consider important, or what I value, I look at my actions.
I have one thing that is of primary importance to me, and that is taking care of my wife who is chronically ill.
Whether this is right or wrong, I have not taken any action based on what I have learned recently, other than my contributions on these discussions, which I consider entertainment. So taking action on the basis of what I have learned recently is not important to me.
When people ask if I care about something I say it is on my short list or my long list. My short list are the things I care about and act upon. My long list is everything else. Based on my current actions, I do not care about the billions of people living in poverty and disease, the millions of animals suffering at the hands of humans, the injustice inflicted upon people, or the environment. What I feel about these issues is completely irrelevant to those enduring the suffering.
When I chose to have a family, I made commitments, and I intend to fulfill those commitments. Perhaps young people should look more closely and more broadly at the options before making commitments. I doubt that it would have changed my decisions, but perhaps some others.
Debra Smith 200+
edward long 100+
pat gilbert 50+
James Zhang 30+
edward long 100+
Debra Smith 200+
edward long 100+
Debra Smith 200+
oops it will not let me embed it! It is TEDxEast and it is by Oskar Eustis and it is called a Puvblic place (I think). Cheers!
edward long 100+
Debra Smith 200+
edward long 100+
Debra Smith 200+
Fritzie Reisner 100+
Debra Smith 200+
Fritzie Reisner 100+
pat gilbert 50+
But I cannot agree with his ideas regarding theater is a commodity. YES it is. The VERY definition of art is that it is communication and if the artist prefers to be self indulgent and thus disconnecting from the audience he does NOT deserve to be supported.
Debra Smith 200+
pat gilbert 50+
Debra Smith 200+
Tanka Poudel
We take one or another form of action after we learn something. Thoughts seem more like energy to me and once they come into existence they will always trigger an action but the action can be different some visible, some almost as if in back ground. Types of actions I see are as follows:
1) Direct Application
2) Sharing / Inspiring
3) Using what we learn to learn or understand other things
Fritzie Reisner 100+
I am wondering how many of us lull ourselves into thinking we are part of forward motion when we are only part of very active lateral passing.
Tanka Poudel
You asked about action only so I replied on the basis of action whether its passing the ball but its surely an action.
Its not always the right choice for each and every one to be the front runner but that doesn't discount their contribution even if its not recognized. If I know I have contributed then its enough for me rather I will be interested to see the reaction that follow just like your answer ;).
Fritzie Reisner 100+