After seeing Van Gogh Alive last week, art has been on my mind. I studied philosophy briefly during university, and had the opportunity to teach it for a year to senior high school students. We had a lot of fun, delving into the history and different philosophical movements.
Schopenhauer is today's Bitesize Inspiration and I think that this quote is wonderful advice for people who are just starting out with art or any creative pursuit - literature, music, poetry and so on. I often ignore the introduction or forward in a piece of literature so that the person writing that forward does not impose their thoughts and ideas on me before I've even read the book! I also think this advice is timely for those who may be connoisseurs of the arts, or have a long experience with studying it. We don't want to go in thinking we know all about it, before we have fully experienced it. Schopenhauer's quote touches on so many important things: manners, reverence, the art of listening, learning and more.
If we are to look to the classics for guidance on how to live our modern lives, then let's take Schopenhauer's advice and treat it like a prince; with reverence, patience and an open ear. And if we don't like what we hear, then we can politely walk away :)
Thanks for stopping by. I hope the week is a lovely one for you.
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