Sharing The Abundance

The Hippocratic Oath

"I swear by Apollo the physician and Aesculapius, and Health, and All-Heal, and all the gods and goddesses, that, according to my ability and judgment, I will keep this Oath and this stipulation - to reckon him who taught me this Art equally dear to me as my parents, to share my substance with him, and relieve his necessities if required; to look upon his offspring in the same footing as my own brothers, and to teach them this Art, if they shall wish to learn it, without fee or stipulation; and that by precept, lecture, and every other mode of instruction, I will impart a knowledge of the Art to my own sons, and those of my teachers, and to disciples bound by a stipulation and oath according to the law of medicine, but to none others. I will follow that system of regimen which, according to my ability and judgment, I consider for the benefit of my patients, and abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous. I will give no deadly medicine to anyone if asked, nor suggest any such counsel; and in like manner I will not give to a woman a pessary to produce abortion. With purity and with holiness I will pass my life and practice my Art. I will not cut persons laboring under the stone, but will leave this to be done by men who are practitioners of this work. Into whatever houses I enter, I will go into them for the benefit of the sick, and will abstain from every voluntary act of mischief and corruption; and further, from the seduction of females or males, of freemen and slaves. Whatever in connection with my professional practice, or not in connection with it, I see or hear, in the life of men, which ought not be spoken of abroad, I will not divulge, as reckoning that all such should be kept secret. While I continue to keep this Oath unviolated, may it be granted to me to enjoy life and the practice of the art, respected by all men, in all times, but should I trespass and violate this Oath, may the reverse be my lot."
- Hippocrates

Hippocrates is credited with being the "father of modern medicine," but there was much more to him than that. He believed in sharing his knowledge in order to benefit man, not only in his lifetime, but for generations following him. I would like to call your attention to the first sentence of the above quote. Hippocrates speaks of sharing his knowledge, free of charge, with his own sons, the sons of his teachers, and certain disciples, or followers, in the medical community. He believed in sharing knowledge for the betterment of mankind so that they may be able to care for themselves with what they learn. Then, in turn, pass their knowledge on to others who are interested in learning what it is they have to offer. He was willing to do this "without fee or stipulation" so that the knowledge he possessed could be passed along to others in order to help everyone.

This definition of "knowledge" is found in the American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster 1828 edition:

KNOWL'EDGE,
1. A clear and certain perception of that which exists, or of truth and fact; the perception of the connection and agreement, or disagreement and repugnancy of our ideas.
We can have no knowledge of that which does not exist. God has a perfect knowledge of all his works. Human knowledge is very limited, and is mostly gained by observation and experience.
2. Learning; illumination of mind.
3. Skill; as a knowledge of seamanship.
4. Acquaintance with any fact or person.
5. Cognizance; notice.
6. Information; power of knowing.

Having knowledge isn't just the memorization of facts, it is "illumination of mind." It is also having a clear perception of truth and fact, obtained mostly through observation and experience. Hippocrates didn't gain his knowledge by sitting behind a desk, writing down answers and taking tests. He studied under the guidance of mentors, spent time in libraries, and treated those that asked for his help. He learned by emulating those who already possessed the skills he was wanting to be proficient in, as well as searching out knowledge from other sources. He was able to live up to his potential, feeling that he was doing right by humanity and leaving a legacy of good works and knowledge in order to be "respected by all men, in all times."

Not everyone will leave a legacy that is esteemed by so many as that of Hippocrates, but we do leave a legacy. What legacy are you leaving for your posterity? What knowledge are you seeking that will give you the skills you need in order to edify the lives of those around you? We should always be working towards the improvement of our minds and strengthening the abilities we feel will uplift and support the lives of those we come in contact with. We then have the responsibility to share what we learn so that our posterity will be better, and more knowledgeable, than we are.

Everyone should have the opportunity to obtain knowledge, but the reality is that there are many who are never given that chance. There are many who are blessed with an abundance of knowledge and choose to greedily keep it for themselves, or sell it for a heavy price. There are many who are blessed with an abundance of knowledge who spend their lives trying to help others and share what they know, freely and generously. If knowledge is to be purchased there will always be many who will never be able to partake of a greater life. If knowledge is freely shared and generously given, when asked for, there will be very few, if any, left in the darkness of ignorance. Knowledge should not be give only to the elite that can afford the price of purchase. Knowledge is a gift that is meant for all mankind to be sharers and partakers of.

Men are given the chance to be stewards over many things such as children, money, land, peoples, animals and knowledge. As stewards we are to take care of our charges in the best possible way. With certain charges, such as money, land, animals and knowledge, part of that care may be in freely sharing our abundance with those who are less fortunate than we are. Giving all that we can enriches our own lives and blesses the lives of those we share with. Hording knowledge and keeping it to a select few will create a society of ignorant people, slaves to what they are told to believe and, therefore, slaves to those who possess the knowledge. Freely sharing of our abundance in knowledge can keep us all a free and intelligent people.

Compelling Power

These definitions are found in the American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828:

Force, To compel; to constrain to do or to forbear, by the exertion of a power not resistible.
2. To overpower by strength.
3. To impel; to press; to drive; to draw or push by main strength; a sense of very extensive use.
4. To enforce; to urge; to press.

Compel, To drive or urge with force, or irresistibly; to constrain; to oblige; to necessitate, either by physical or moral force.
2. To force; to take by force, or violence; to seize.
3. To drive together; to gather; to unite in a crowd or company.
4. To seize; to overpower; to hold.
5. To call forth.

Compulsion, The act of driving or urging by force, physical or moral; force applied; constraint of the will; the application of a force that is irresistible.
2. The state of being complelled or urged by violence.

Upon first examination of these definitions we may feel that to be forced or compelled is something to be avoided. However, I ask you to consider what, or who, it is that is compelling our education. Is it someone else or their ideas that are being forced upon us, or is it our own desire to learn about a subject of our choosing that compels us? Are we driven by our own hunger for knowledge or by a system that was designed to make education uniform? The positive or negative state of these words is of our own making. Being compelled by another, to do something we hold no desire to do, makes these words appear to be negative in meaning. If we are driven by our own interests in pursuit of knowledge, under our own power to freely choose where our road will lead, these words take on a much more positive state.

When we are negatively compelled, we find that we feel negative emotions toward whatever it is that is compelling us. When we are positively compelled just the opposite is true. How, then, are we to have a positive educational experience? The answer is simple: by allowing our own educational desires to compel us to action, not the desires of others.

John Taylor Gatto worked as a school teacher for nearly 30 years in New York. After he won New York State Teacher of the Year he received almost 1,800 letters in response to some essays he wrote about what he had witnessed as a schoolteacher. Here are a couple of excerpts:

Frankfurt, Illinois "I had a rich personal inquiry going on in many things. School was for me a tedious interruption of my otherwise interesting life."

Madison, Wisconsin "I'm desperate what to do. Three bright and lively children but everyday I see a closing down of enthusiasm as they grind their way through a predetermined school program."

Force, compel, and compulsion do not have to be words whose actions we try to avoid. If we allow our own educational desires to drive us, these words can be the greatest force in who we become.

Awaken The Genius

An education begins with the pursuit of knowledge of those things that capture our interest. When we are young we depend on our parents to guide us through that pursuit, showing us where to find the troves of knowledge that will fill our desire to learn. When children are given free reign with their education, with a mentor's guidance (i.e. parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, older sibling, teacher, and/or other trusted adult) they can learn at an amazing speed. Allowing children to follow their interests will inspire in them a love for learning and a love for learning will open up their hearts to the desire to be educated. As children learn about those topics that capture their attention the education they receive will seem like play. They will find joy in discovering the world that they want to know and become better acquainted with. Perhaps there are some true geniuses, but most geniuses are average people who were allowed to follow where their interests lead them and were guided by a caring mentor. All children have that capacity within them to become someone great, but it is up to those around them to provide them with the guidance they need in order to become that great someone.

We all have a lifetime in which to educate ourselves. Trying to force an education on a child will only result in that child developing the feelings of resentment for learning. It will seem to that child that an education is a painful process and must be unwillingly endured in order to become something. Children become unfocused, bored, moody, quarrelsome, disruptive, and are easily distracted when they have to sit for hours hearing about subjects that hold no interest for them. For the rest of their lives they will feel these emotions when they are in a school setting due to the fact that it was ingrained in them from the very beginning of their educational experience. Geniuses are not found in this type of setting, they are stifled.

In order to awaken the genius in children we need to allow them to decide where their interests are and guide them in following those interests. We cannot continue to mass educate with a one-size-fits-all education and expect individualism to shine through. There can be no master in a field of study if everyone has the same education. We are all unique and have unique qualities and interests, so why should our learning be something that forces sameness. We should teach children to be the individual we tell them to be by allowing their genius to govern their education. Do not stifle it by putting them into a situation that will induce pain; instead teach them there is joy in learning by guiding them through their own desires and then watch as the transformation from child to genius is made.