The Best Way to Learn is to Do (Jonathan Schwarz edition)
“The best way to learn is to do,” wrote the late Paul Halmos at the beginning of an article about how to teach college math that inspired me to start self-experimenting. Jonathan Schwarz says something similar:
America is so completely depoliticized that I support people doing pretty much anything (except forming neighborhood fascist gangs, and even that doesn’t worry me too much). Perhaps I’m foolishly optimistic, but I believe people will learn from the horrendous mistakes they’ll surely make. And even if they don’t, giving it a shot is the only way they have even a possibility of doing so.
Well put.
A subtle defense of the Iraq War? If Halmos were alive I like to think he’d agree with this:
Lesson 1: The best way to learn is to do.
Lesson 2: And the best thing to do is something small.
January 2nd, 2008 at 8:28 pm
William Blake edition: “If the fool would persist in his folly he would become wise.” from the _The Marriage of Heaven and Hell_
January 2nd, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Nice, David.
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:47 pm
A subtle defense of the Iraq War?
people will try anything to defend war crimes.
January 3rd, 2008 at 12:02 pm
I’m reading the collection
of Halmos excerpts right now and it’s great. This part
hit home:
January 3rd, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Everyone procrastinates. Or almost everyone.