Learning about life [Archives:2002/35/Focus]

BY KAMAL A. HIRDI
The best way of learning about life can be by listening to the advice of family and friends as well as through personal experience. That basically depends on one’s age and maturity of mentality.
At a very early stage of life, it is logically unacceptable that , a child could learn about life through personal experience or friends. Simply because of the fact that children are not mentally, psychologically, and even physically matured enough interact with and respond to the nature of life in terms of cause and effect so as to acquire a personal experience and form special attitudes towards life circumstances and changes. Nor could a child have friends with whom to exchanges views and experiences.
At a little bit advanced stage of life within childhood stage, child-however-still has limited mental abilities for distinguishing what could be harmful or harmless. Family starts directly and indirectly teaching the child the basic rules of disciplined behavior and conduct. At first, child may be unable to grasp all family instructions.
Following a number of repeated failures during the learning process, child begins to gradually form a clear and fixed idea of what should be done and how it should be done.
It is almost known to all of us that throughout the childhood period, child’s mind operates within curiosity. Child gets curious to find out about the surroundings. Consequently, the advice from a child friend is always an advice to misbehave for the sake of getting entertained. Accordingly, it is evident that learning about life during childhood stage can never be through a personal experience since the term “Personal Experience” is referred to only with mature state of mind. Nor can it be by listening to the advice of friends.
With grown-ups, on the other hand, the situation is wholly different. Family, friends, people, and the whole environment may be a most enriching source for knowledge. Being an adult, generally having the minimum requirements of understanding, analyzing, and evaluating what is being exposed to the adult mind. Just then, it is quite natural that to build up background of conduct which is here-in referred to as learning.
Although people are different in the way they look at life happenings, personal experience is of a great value since it determines one’s reactions towards similar events in life.
There is an expression in English which describes the significance of personal experience as follows “who doesn’t learn from history is condemned to repeat it.”

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