A Learner’s Manifesto, in Its Underwear
There is a lot more to a life-long love of learning than what you are about to read, but, in its base-layer, here is my personal “learner’s manifesto.” It’s what my soul desires for my brain, character, and time on earth — and it’s my game plan for leaving a legacy of truth and beauty.
There is a version of this that is more suitable for intellectual company — the version in formal wear — but that’s going to take a while longer to get dressed up for public consideration…maybe even the rest of my adulthood.
Plus black-tie and gowns aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. I imagine a thorough declaration of one’s philosophy of learning would be lengthy and substantial. I think it would also be a perpetual work-in-progress, constantly refining. My experience has been that I have needed to try on “outfits” of purpose to see that they are just not me, or not the me I want to be…at least not yet.
(Case in point: At earlier stages in the development of my inner life, I was going to be a punk metaphysicist, a flame-breathing feminist and find the cure for cancer, poverty, and juvenile delinquency. One time, I also determined to be very, very demure and defer to authoritative voices around me who proclaimed they knew “the secrets.” So far, no pan-out on any of these. Wrong fits, but boy did I learn a lot!)
Today, as I stand in front of the “closet” representing all of my moral, academic, experiential, humane and reasoned education so far, I’m thrilled to be in the middle of it feeling like there are plentiful and exciting places to go, people to meet, ideas to encounter, discoveries to be made and missions to pursue.
How I’ll approach those journeys — how deep my thinking, how complex my language, how intensely I’ll employ my senses, heart, and intuition — remains to be seen. Well, it remains in my manifesto. Which you’ll see below. And which I sport everywhere, like underwear.
On the dawn of this particular 24 hour gift we call a day, I’m overwhelmingly grateful for the capacity to start where I am and stride forward, even if it is in an unsophisticated way.
You, too?
My Learner’s Manifesto
I will remain open.
I will do the climb
to allow my mind
to experience new vantage points.
I will compare what I’m told
with my trusted truths,
be willing to bend where mistaken,
correct where wrong,
and test for the better.
I will remember
that I am guided by an inner, quiet sense
that seeks my well-being.
I will honor that intuition while
doing my best to understand
why others see differently than I.
I will welcome my expansion
(and not fear change)
because I know
that learning is the beat
and breath
of a vibrant, whole-hearted existence.
By Heather Burton
Next Steps
What drives your progress as a human being? How do you evaluate incoming information and decide what’s worth holding onto? Why does the life of your mind matter to you? How about the making of a fine character? What value does learning have in the creation of you?
These are just some of the questions you’ll find in my free Learner’s Manifesto Writer’s Guide. Not only can it help you increase (or recharge) your own passion for learning, it will help you inspire others to make the connection between self-education and a rich, fulfilling life.
Contact me personally for a free copy: heather(at)heatherburton(dot)ca.
Thanks for Reading!
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