Sunday, January 25, 2004

Dialectic, ration, 4 years of school…
1. I am not sure was it the effect of Dawson's Creek that on my last post no one left me a comment...:))

2. It was a few days before our final exams back in 4 years of engineering school. As our usual gathering on Thursdays we had been gathered in our gymnasium playing indoor soccer with friends. While sitting on the bench and waiting for our turn to go in and play. A good friend who was studying Airospace Engineering at the time turned to and told me:
“Ali, Do you know how I feel these days? We have gone to school for more than 4 years and studied engineering and now almost to the end of our studies I feel so what? I feel I have wasted 4 consecutive years! Because most of things we learned I hardly can remember! We learned basics and I feel there are a lot more to learn. I have no confidence and no hope to go out and look for a job! A nihilistic sense has gone all over my body where I feel dissatisfaction with my studies.”
This was very similar sense that I had been experiencing at the time and I was felling the same kind of sensation. I told him give me a day to think of this matters and then we will talk tomorrow. I wanted to find out why we had chosen the way that we did!
The next day, after some careful thinking and talking to couple of other students, I realized I am not alone in having this type of senses. So, I felt I have to find out a convincing argument and at the same time giving him the right of what he feels!
The next day I told him: the reason that we have gone to university is not only because of the fact in getting the any degrees (it may seems so). However, the reason for taking higher education is to learn how the rational phenomena around us work. How can we find out about them if we wish so. How should we interact with others in our social world based on rational thoughts. Our four years of study is matter of learning and getting exposed to more cultures and ideas. And the most important item is to learn how to tolerate. As I put it I think we ought to develop in 3-dimensional space and not only getting developed in 1-D. So, as long as we gain experiences in all directions, we should not feel bad. Perhaps, our liberal studies (i.e. psychology, environment, geography and philosophy, etc) come handier than our core courses.

3. We are told to be rational. From the first day we are born we are told to be rational, fair and act on honor. Dialectic (i.e. discussion) is process of rational argument. Throughout our life we discuss matters with one another. We argue. We try to convince. However, I wonder throughout these processes have we acted fair towards one another? If we act upon our heart and not follow our rational thought, have we acted upon honor?

4. Something again about cellular phone in Iran. I have been trying to reach a person for past few hours, I hear this message: "This person is liquidised gone to Ocean" (just joking).

5. I have catch a cold and it seems my sinuses are infected, as a result I'd better go to sleep! I am starting to talk in none sense!!

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