Be a Lifelong Learner

 

Hello and welcome to It’s a Classical Life! If this is your first time here, my name is Kirsty and I’m so glad you’re here to talk about all things classic, from the Ancient Greeks and Romans right up to the present day. We can draw our inspiration from classic literature, style, music and more so join us as we bring some timeless and enduring culture into our everyday lives.

You may wonder, why study the classics? For me, studying the classics is part of a bigger whole – to be a lifelong learner. I am a trained History and World Languages teacher (ESL, Italian and Spanish) and have spent fifteen years studying and teaching topics I love from kindergarten to grade 12. In these days of our internet knowledge and ability to search for quick answers, becoming a lifelong learner is one of the best gifts you can give yourself and to your children. I can always tell those students who have grown up reading widely and reading well! 

To be able to understand and assess how those who came before us lived, thought and created beauty gives us a solid platform from which to navigate this complicated world of technology and rapidly evolving culture. Sitting down with a classic book, whether it be a novel, a poem, an epic or a play, there is no better antidote to our fixations with screens. Listening to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, contemplating the art of the Renaissance greats, or bringing some classic style and traditional past-times into our everyday lives helps us to reconnect with our past and with ourselves. They inspire us to great things and cause us to think. This is a good thing. Challenging ourselves in this way can be counter-cultural at times, but I believe it is so important not to allow ourselves to be "dumbed down" by an image-based culture. 

Reading the classics can be hard work, whether you are starting with Homer’s ‘Iliad’ or Joan Lindsey’s ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock' it can be daunting task to tackle a classic. They are often written in quite sophisticated language (though not always!) and may deal with themes and issues that seem irrelevant or depressing to you. But don’t be dismayed, these books are called classics and are timeless and enduring for a reason. That being said, if you are really struggling with a book, don’t beat yourself up about it. Put it aside and try something new – if they’re really considered a classic, then they’re not likely to be going anywhere anytime soon! 

Many classics fall under the category of books you think you’ve read, but haven’t. We all know the stories of Winnie the Pooh or Doctor Doolittle but have you read the originals? If there’s a modern classic that you love, like the Harry Potter series, try Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre or Roald Dahl and see where Rowling got some of her inspiration from. And remember, just because it’s considered a classic, doesn’t mean you have to like it! 

The same is applied to art and music. Think about where your interests lie, and explore genres that you already know that you like. If a particular time period captures your attention (were you a big Downtown Abbey fan and want to learn more about the early 1900s?) then do some research to see what art, music and literature came out of the time period. There is a beautiful curiosity to people who want to learn more and have learnt the proper way to go about this learning. They aren't quick to jump on the Internet and do a generic search. They want to go deeper than that. They want to go to the source - and often that means searching for what we call in Humanities studies, primary sources. Books, articles, diaries, journals etc that were written at a specific point in time, about that time. Looking back at how people lived, what they believed and motivated them in their lives and society is a wonderful way to tickle your own curiosity and delve into the habits of a lifelong learner. 

Immerse yourself in it. 

Take your time. 

I guarantee that you will see so many connections between your own life and the lives of people from the past. Human nature has not changed that much after all and you may even discover answers to modern problems, or antidotes to our modern way of thinking to help you with issues you may grappling with. Our society may have changed immensely since Homer was writing the Iliad, but the desires of our hearts haven't really changed. 

There is no end to the classics, and as we study more are being created every day. Isn’t that a wonderful thought? Being a lifelong learner isn’t a race; it’s a slow journey and as the classic saying goes, “it’s not about the destination, but the journey.”

Still not sure where to start? Then see my post on Susan Wise Bauer’s book, 'A Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had' for more ideas. 

Do you like to read the classics? If so, which ones are your favourites and why? I'd love to hear about it in the comments.