We all know stubborn people, people who refuse to give in, people who, in a sense, refuse to admit they are wrong. They seem stuck, stubborn, pig headed. Here is a quotation that, in part, explains their behavior.
“Every act of conscious learning requires the willingness to suffer injury to one’s self-esteem. That is why young children, before they are aware of their own self-importance, learn so easily; and why older persons, especially if vain or important, cannot learn at all.”
It is astonishing how easily children learn. They are sponges. They seem to absorb endless amounts of information. Their faces are open eager: they seem to want to learn. In part it is because they know they are ignorant: they know they do not know -- and they are paying attention in order to learn. But as the quotation explains, it is also because they are not aware of their self importance, they do not have an inflated sense of self esteem. They are new, fresh, eager -- and they are willing to suffer an injury to their budding self esteem.
Older people are not willing to suffer an injury to their self esteem. They think too highly of themselves: they think they are important. They think that what they think is important -- so they hold on to their opinion, they defend their opinion. Such people are all too aware of their self-importance. They are pompous asses if truth be told. They are vain, self important. As the quotation says, such older people cannot learn at all.
As one person said, only dead people don’t change their minds. Or you have to have a mind in order to change your mind.
The people I respect are the people who are willing to change their mind. They are open to new ideas. They know they don’t know. They are willing to suffer an injury to their self esteem because they do not have an inflated sense of self esteem: they are not vain. They can, and do, learn.
And here is a quotation that dovetails with the preceding quotation. “Humor is by far the most significant activity of the human brain.” People who have a sense of humor know how to laugh at themselves. They are not vain, self important. They are willing to suffer an injury to their self esteem because their self esteem is not high. Humor is by far the most significant activity of the human brain. If you have a sense of humor you can learn. If you have a sense of humor you see how insignificant all things are--including yourself. Man is the only animal that can laugh at itself--and laughing is a healthy activity, an essential activity: Humor is the most significant activity of the human brain. If you have a sense of humor you do not take yourself too seriously, you can suffer a blow to your self-esteem -- and you can learn.
Copyright © 2004 Henry Morgenstein