What do you think?

Often I get a question from a viewer who asks in somewhat of an irritated manner “Well what do you think?” The question seems to recognize that I often write about something that I have learned while reading a certain book that I quote in my OP.

I write primarily because writing helps me comprehend.

I am a retired engineer and my engineering education consisted primarily of working problems using mathematics. I was taught primarily by the process of doing “home work” that consisted of solving problems from the text book. In most of the natural sciences that I am familiar with the text book had many problems at the end of each chapter that had to be solved mathematically and the professor would assign problems to be worked for the next class. This home work was handed in and graded. No one could learn this type of material if they did not work problems.

When dealing with narrative type of material I have discovered that I cannot really fix a comprehension of the material unless I write about it. I try to create a narrative that allows me to recognize the degree of my comprehension of the material. Only in creating a narrative can I judge my degree of comprehension.

Because I also use this narrative in an OP to convince others of the legitimacy of the ideas I will quote the author so that the reader can readily see that I am not just giving my opinion but that I am giving my judgment of the material based upon the authors work.

I am convinced that the best way to learn is to study what the best minds have written. When I quote from a book I do so to let the reader know the quality of the material I am studying. The reader can then judge the quality of the ideas I express based upon not just my judgment but based upon the quality of the mind of the author of the book. In this way the reader can judge the quality of the source of this idea.

There are opinions, considered opinions, and judgments. Opinions are a dime-a-dozen; everyone has an opinion about almost everything. Exchanging opinions may be entertaining but is of little value when learning is the goal. Considered opinions are opinions that have received a good bit of analysis and thought. Judgments are formed about considered opinions that have received a good bit of study and analysis. Learning requires good judgment regarding ideas as expressed by the best minds.

Electrical,Mechanical,Chemical,Civil ?
What about Heat Transfer courses.?

coberst,

My two fields of study were science and history, one field demanding experimentation and observation and the other copious reading. I enjoyed and learned from both in different ways.

Now that I am retired and no longer have a vocation , ie. being in charge of elementary and middle school science for a school district, history has become my avocation. Since learning history does not demand a laboratory with equipment and hardware but instead only books, transcripts and even t.v. programs I am able to continue my studies in the field with very little difficulty.

Frogger

I wish more people had an interest in reading history. I think that it is important for our society to become more intellectually sophisticated and self-actualizing self-learning is the means for accomplishing that. I think that it would be useful if you were to write about the importance of reading history on these Internet discussion forums.

What do you think?

Often I get a question from a viewer who asks in somewhat of an irritated manner “Well what do you think?” The question seems to recognize that I often write about something that I have learned while reading a certain book that I quote in my OP.

I write primarily because writing helps me comprehend.

I am a retired engineer and my engineering education consisted primarily of working problems using mathematics. I was taught primarily by the process of doing “home work” that consisted of solving problems from the text book. In most of the natural sciences that I am familiar with the text book had many problems at the end of each chapter that had to be solved mathematically and the professor would assign problems to be worked for the next class. This home work was handed in and graded. No one could learn this type of material if they did not work problems.

When dealing with narrative type of material I have discovered that I cannot really fix a comprehension of the material unless I write about it. I try to create a narrative that allows me to recognize the degree of my comprehension of the material. Only in creating a narrative can I judge my degree of comprehension.

Because I also use this narrative in an OP to convince others of the legitimacy of the ideas I will quote the author so that the reader can readily see that I am not just giving my opinion but that I am giving my judgment of the material based upon the authors work.

I am convinced that the best way to learn is to study what the best minds have written. When I quote from a book I do so to let the reader know the quality of the material I am studying. The reader can then judge the quality of the ideas I express based upon not just my judgment but based upon the quality of the mind of the author of the book. In this way the reader can judge the quality of the source of this idea.

There are opinions, considered opinions, and judgments. Opinions are a dime-a-dozen; everyone has an opinion about almost everything. Exchanging opinions may be entertaining but is of little value when learning is the goal. Considered opinions are opinions that have received a good bit of analysis and thought. Judgments are formed about considered opinions that have received a good bit of study and analysis. Learning requires good judgment regarding ideas as expressed by the best minds. Coberst, don't you think sharing opinions are a way of learning what another person thinks or perhaps what they have not thought enough about?

afinertouch,

coberst has a way of initiating discussions much as Dio Seijuro does. His threads usually force us to do a bit more than the rather shallow posting that we are all sometimes guilty of. His posting style is different from most of ours and I would be interested in knowing a bit more about him, where he is from, what he does for a living, age, hobbies, etc.

coberst,

I see the value of studying history two different ways.

#1 History should be studied so that we, as a people, can benefit from the triumph and mistakes of those who have gone before us. History can be a road map that tells us where the pitfalls are, what detours to take, what our final destination might be. It is not an infallable road map because the road is constantly changing but it at least keeps us from traveling blindly.

In order to be of value history must be written, in the words of Leopold von Ranke, wie es eigentlich gewesen war, as it actually happened. All too often history is written as propoganda or as we wish it had been rather than how it actually was. In these instances it is a false road map doing more harm than good.

#2 History should be learned for fun and enjoyment. Just as we sit and look at family photo albums because we are interested in how our friends and relatives lived and in what they did, enjoyed, or experienced we should be interested in what our forebears did, how they lived, what they enjoyed or experienced. We should be curious about those who went before us simply because they have a story to tell.

It is the same curiosity that makes us research family trees. Knowing about our ancestors, their names, their occupations, where they lived, etc. might not change how we live but it is something we want to know simply in order to know it.

afinertouch,

coberst has a way of initiating discussions much as Dio Seijuro does. His threads usually force us to do a bit more than the rather shallow posting that we are all sometimes guilty of. His posting style is different from most of ours and I would be interested in knowing a bit more about him, where he is from, what he does for a living, age, hobbies, etc. Yes he has no information in his profile although I have seen him post the same thing in other forums.

I am a retired engineer with 5 children and 7 grandchildren. I started my hobby that I call self-actualizing self-learning 25 years ago. As a result I have discovered that this hobby can be very beneficial to the individual and to the community. I have been trying to carry this enlightenment to others through Internet discussion forums. Unfortunately self-actualization through self-learning is a bootstrap situation. One needs to have already indulged in this activity before one recognizes the importance of the activity.

Frogger

I wish more people had an interest in reading history. I think that it is important for our society to become more intellectually sophisticated and self-actualizing self-learning is the means for accomplishing that. I think that it would be useful if you were to write about the importance of reading history on these Internet discussion forums.
You're absolutely right. I'm a history major. :) But almost everyone my age HATES history.

You're absolutely right. I'm a history major. :) But almost everyone my age HATES history.

I love history. I'm right there with DF, I'm going to major in history and one day teach it, hopefully.

I enjoy reading history merely because it shows that, over time, people have mostly have remained the same.

Even tho they wore different clothes, had a different syle of living, the basic values of human beings have remained the same.

While the big movers and shakers are the ones who get the press and attention, it's always the "little people" I think of who really made those times.

They were not so different from how we are now--most were busy working, raising a family, grumbled about taxes, loved their kids, took care of the old folks, worried about bills, planned for the future, and fretted about the government.

People pretty much stay the same.

You're right, Ren. Great post. :)

Well a couple of values I think that have changed are how slavery througout history was seen as a quite acceptable social institution and how women throughout history were seen as inferior to men. Treatment of women flucuated over time and place, but hardly anyone questioned the idea that women were basically inferior and should have less rights than men. Nowdays all civilized countries acept the principle that women are entitled to the same legal and political rights as men.

how would you inspire someone to become interested in reading history?

i'm one of those who finds herself glazing over during a history topic, though sometimes a historical television program will interest me briefly, and i WANT to be interested, and i know it would be good to know, i just can't maintain interest for very long. why is it that i am able to fall deeply into a novel, but not a biography?

of course, lately, i haven't been reading anything at all, except for an occasional rolling stone article (which are actually excellent, don't laugh!), and i used to be a constant reader, i blame my job of being on the computer all day, and then groups like this that are fun to waste time on, and then there is the ever present love of my life - television and films, that at this point in time i'd be happy if i could get myself through any kind of book. definitely embarrassed to admit this.

but back to my original question - especially you teachers, how do you spur an interest in history? how do you make it come alive to someone who normally drifts off, and what can i do to myself to make me more interested?

I have limited interest in reading history books, emphasis on books. Instead, I can tolerate and often enjoy reading encyclopedic articles on history.

History books often seem to drag on too much with minutiae details that are unlikely to be of interest to anyone but another history buff. Hence my limited interest--I don't particularly only want to converse with history buffs.

Many praised history books can also be considered works of literature, which to me means it'll take a long time to get through the facts and information, with lots of little episodes and considerations and side stories thrown in...maybe enjoyable if I have a lot of free time, but at this point I don't find that too appealing.