Friends are for learning*

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If half of America’s material civilization can be attributed to the inventor Edison, then half of its spiritual civilization owes its existence to the thinker Emerson. This is of course an exaggeration. However, historians of thought believe that the thinkers who represent the American spirit indeed began with Emerson. When Americans write \"essays,\" it is rare to find one that does not cite Emerson. It is said that when Emerson met with friends, he would always ask this question: \"What have you figured out since we last met?\" ”This simple question contains many profound principles of learning. First, learning* is difficult. It takes time to figure out a problem. In Emerson’s time, transportation was inconvenient; meeting friends would take place once every two or three months, perhaps. Emerson’s assumption behind the question is that it takes a person two or three months to figure out at most two or three questions, which is why they are worth asking and can be answered. If a person can figure out one problem per day, they can resolve 60 to 90 problems in two or three months. It’s neither worth asking nor answerable. Second, learning* is necessary. Learning is essential for a person's mind, just as oxygen is essential for the human body. Here is another assumption Emerson made when asking this question: that it should take a person two or three months to figure out one or two issues. Otherwise, Emerson would have asked such a question: “Since we last met, what new delicious restaurant have you discovered?” Fun KTV? ” Third, what you learn* needs to be spoken out. Speaking it out is not just about telling others what you have learned. In fact, speaking itself is a learning process. It says that it can help us think more clearly. Management guru Peter Drucker said, “I learn by listening—listening to myself.” ”Of course, it’s also possible to write it down; the novelist Faulkner said, “I only realize what I’m thinking when I read what I’ve said.” ” The renowned psychologist Howard Gardner told me that he was going to give a speech, saying, “I’m very curious about what I’m going to say.” ”Here is an example: the process of expression is not like the printing process of a printer, where the ideas are already fixed; rather, it is more like the writing process of a calligrapher, which is part of the creation of ideas. Fourth, learning* is something that needs to be discussed. Learning* can be something that happens unilaterally; even if the listener says nothing, you still learn something. However, compared to one-sided talking, discussion is often a more effective learning process. This is also the assumption underlying Emerson’s question: I want to discuss it with you. Fifth, there are two types of learning*. One approach is to figure it out on your own, by learning from your own experience and observations. Another approach is to learn from others*, to learn about things that they have already figured out or are in the process of figuring out. Both of these learning methods are very important. Sixth, friends are for learning*. Many years before Emerson, Confucius in China already understood this principle. At the beginning of The Analects, Confucius said, “Is it not a pleasure to learn and put what one has learned into practice from time to time?” It’s delightful to have friends come from afar! ”The first sentence is to figure it out by oneself; it’s satisfying. The second sentence is that when friends come, we can learn together*, figure things out together, which makes us even happier. It’s unfortunate that we don’t have Emerson as a friend; what can we do? There are two solutions. Option one: be your own Emerson, asking yourself from time to time, “What have I learned?” ”Reflecting on oneself three times a day might be too much to ask; what about reflecting once every thirty days? Option two: Among current friends, whether they are acquaintances, friends based on mutual respect, or those who get together over drinks or at KTVs, look for Emerson. The code for the connection is to first ask her or him, “What have you learned recently?” ” If you see a look of surprise, then please laugh it off and go on to have a casual acquaintance relationship, a relationship based on courtesy, or a relationship formed over meals or at KTVs. It’s also possible that, after a moment of surprise in their eyes, their expression turns joyful; they then grasp your hand tightly and say excitedly, “Emerson, I’ve finally found you!” ” Well, congratulations, you’ve found Emerson too!