learning on Ambiguity

Richard Mouw, the former president of Fuller Seminary and a professor of philosophy, shares an amusing anecdote from a lecture by the esteemed Catholic ethicist Charles Curran. During his talk, Curran...

The more I read, the more I acquire, the more certain I am that I know nothing.

Perhaps the history of the errors of mankind, all things considered, is more valuable and interesting than that of their discoveries. Truth is uniform and narrow; it constantly exists, and does not se...

Ancora imparo. Yet I am still learning.

The point of discourse is to learn with and from one another. I used to tell my students that at least 20 percent of what I was telling them was wrong, but I didn't know which 20 percent it was: I...

I begin with humility, I act with humility, I end with humility. Humility leads to clarity. Humility leads to an open mind and a forgiving heart. With an open mind and a forgiving heart, I see every p...

Learn to understand more by not understanding than by understanding.

The point of discourse is to learn with and from one another. I used to tell my students that at least 20 percent of what I was telling them was wrong, but I didn't know which 20 percent it was: I...

A stumble may prevent a fall.

Gracious Lord, like Nicodemus, we come to the word with many questions. Like the Pharisees, we can be captivated by correctness, intent on right answers. As we turn to your word, Spirit of God, do not...

If we let ourselves, we shall always be waiting for some distraction or other to end before we can really get down to our work. The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly t...

If a mistake is not a stepping stone, it is a mistake.

I once was significantly lost. When I was a college student in northern Wisconsin, my dad and I were hiking on a trail that was somewhat familiar to me. I had been on this trail just a few weeks befor...

“Learning does not make one learned: there are those who have knowledge and those who have understanding. The first requires memory and the second philosophy.”

The bottom line is this: never grow complacent. Never grow tired of learning. As soon as we stop learning we lose the capacity to grow and mature in our work and our relationships. This continual lear...

“I’ve seen how you can’t learn anything when you’re trying to look like the smartest person in the room.”

Wonder is the desire for knowledge.

Becoming a teachable person has two prerequisites: There must be a teacher and a person willing to be taught. Increasingly, Western culture has become an environment that celebrates and platforms the ...

Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.

When people fail, we are inclined to find fault with them, but if you look more closely, you will find that God had some particular truth for them to learn, which the trouble they are in is to teach t...

Receiving feedback sits at the intersection of these two needs—our drive to learn and our longing for acceptance.

Suffering is a dreadful teacher but often the beginning of the best in us. Suffering and creativity arc often interdependent. Pain produces a terrible tension released in our creative response. Suffer...

He who dares to teach must never cease to learn.

Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence.

We cannot afford to forget any experience, not even the most painful.

One who is afraid of asking questions is ashamed of learning.

Any fool can learn from his mistakes. The wise man learns from the mistakes of others.

Sometimes in life it is best to experience something rather than try to explain it. In this funny little story about two Jewish men, one blind from birth and another with full eyesight, the point is m...

There are some things which cannot be learned quickly, and time, which is all we have, must be paid heavily for their acquiring.

A man of great memory without learning hath a rock and a spindle and no staff to spin.