"After spending my entire schooling years in the Malaysian national education system, and after having earned a Bachelor’s degree in a Malaysian university, I was faced with a grossly unfamiliar situation. For the first time, I was asked for an opinion rather than have one written down on the whiteboard for me to copy."
"My mind had been liberated. From that day on, everything I read or learnt would be tempered with a critical assessment of the source. I began to yearn for alternative interpretations in my hunger for choice. The world was a buffet and I had been fasting for years."
"The key to opening our minds is to first remove our blinders. Thus, whenever presented with history that appears to be his-story, it is probably best that we ask ourselves: exactly whose story is this?"
When I read this, I can somehow relate to certain parts of the article.. I'm brought up in such a way that my opinions about things do not really matter as long as I get an 'A' for the subject. Mum always says this, "If you get poor results, you will not have a good job." (I agree to this only to certain extend..now that I can think better :p) For about 19 years, I follow blindly what my teachers had taught me.. I received, and I accepted them as truth.. I don't care, I just want to get A.
And being trained in such a way that I just need to copy what's written on the whiteboard, I've learnt to be spoon-fed..(okay, maybe it's just ME) I've learnt to wait for answers.. to be lazy...to accept things as they are without questioning the source. I've learnt not to use my brain.. to think. What have I learnt??? GAHHHH.
Is this what education is all about? man, I need to unlearn and relearn the right things.
The other day I was sharing with my friend.. I said, " I think USM somehow forces me to use my brain.. because I'm surrounded by people who will question me about things..especially now that I begin to take up leadership role in my CF. In a way, it helps me to think.." And she said this, "Don't forget to also use your heart." I couldn't agree more. Knowledge is good. It's important. I'm for it. But don't let the knowledge that you have hinder you from using your heart.
I'm reading the Book of Corinthians for my devotion.. have been doing that for the past weeks.. and just so ngam after she shared with me, I was on chapter 8 and this verse just stood out :)
But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church. Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes.
1 Corinthians 8:1-2
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