Question: If you could study anything at all with no thought of anything but pure intellectual pursuit, what field would you pursue?
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Question of the Day
Question: If you could study anything at all with no thought of anything but pure intellectual pursuit, what field would you pursue?
Philosophy, pure and simple. I've studied a good deal of it, but would like to study more. Or a course on classical literature.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, I would need to find someone who knew what they were talking about and that means probably no liberals.
English literature, probably. I think it surpasses most of its counterparts, and I would like to delve into the classics a bit more. (Although Andrew's caveat about philosophy holds true here as well.) If not that, then maybe astronomy.
ReplyDeleteT-Rav, It absolutely holds true in English lit because I wouldn't want to waste my time talking about deconstruction, how everyone in the stories is gay, and how the author really was whining about how America would treat minorities 100 years after the book was written.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I don't know if you've heard of the Great Courses, but I highly recommend them. These are some top notch college courses available on DVD. I've got a bunch and have been really amazed at how great they are.
I want to learn the art of bullying! ;)
ReplyDeleteI would go with either literature or philosophy. I don't know if math would be fun or not?
ReplyDeleteFilm school -- CommentaramaFilm School! :D
ReplyDeleteWhat are these Great Courses?
ReplyDeleteEllen, We should open a film school! LOL!
ReplyDeleteThese are the Great Courses: LINK.
I highly recommend them. They're easily the best college courses I ever had.
I've actually always had a natural gift for math, but not much in the way of affinity for it. If I could the professors/colleagues that make mathematics awesome, I would like to know how far I could go before I ran out of steam.
ReplyDeleteI would also like to study music and music history.
I couldn't imagine wanting to study math. I don't even want to use it! lol! Studying music would be interesting.
ReplyDeleteCall me a sadist but I would almost - ALMOST! - consider studying film again, but with a greater emphasis on story and film history than technology.
ReplyDeleteBut I've always been bad at interpretation - I was once called "anti-intellectual" - and I would no doubt have trouble with certain, uh, opinions. Not to mention my left-brain/right-brain problem: people see a beautiful shot in a film and they assume it represents XYZ and all I can think is, "What if that was the only place they could put the camera?"
Music appreciation is an elective I'd love to take one day, though I don't think it's gonna happen anytime soon. I like my film scores and I've always enjoyed classical music - just once, I'd like to be able to talk about it intelligently.
I think studying math would kill me at this point. But I would love to study film!
ReplyDeletetryanmax, Those Great Courses people have some fascinating music course -- "How to listen to and enjoy classical music/opera". Those were fantastic. The guy was brilliant and an excellent lecturer and I enjoyed every minute of it. It's not "how to" but it was more of "what am I listening to?"
Scott, I suspect I would have problems with the film opinions as well. I wouldn't mind some classes in theory of writing films and some technical classes in terms of "how to" but I would avoid film history and things like that.
ReplyDelete"anti-intellectual"? In the modern parlance, doesn't that make you a conservative? Where did you go wrong Scott? Where did you go wrong?
No, it doesn't make me a conservative. Nice try. :-) I am neither intellectual or anti-intellectual - I'm just me.
ReplyDeleteI told you this before - I went out to dinner with an improv classmate who couldn't understand how I failed to see the genius in the SNL digital shorts like "Dick in a Box" and "I'm on a Boat." She even threw the word "deconstructionist" at me - I told her they were no such thing. "I'm on a Boat" is a parody of rap videos, using high-gloss production value to present a video about a mundane subject. Nothing more!
Needless to say, she was less than enthused. I think that's the night I started to entertain the idea of going back home. After all, living up there, would I continue to meet people like this? As the saying goes, "With friends like these, who needs enemas?"
Scott, Yep, that's the old saying. ;)
ReplyDeleteIn any event, you are right. There is nothing intellectual going on at SNL. It's primitive read-and-react comedy where they cast about looking for something they can squeeze a couple jokes out of. It's basically Meet the Spartans without the fake structure of being a complete movie.
On the other issue, I will convince you yet to embrace your dark side young bloggi... your conservative side. Join us Scott, we're going to rule the universe.
If I could pursue anything, heck, I would simply keep earning degree after degree, but then again, the laws of reality apply, so I guess I am confined to work and a lot of self-study, plus retaking my old educational material from time to time to make sure that I am up to date, either way, I would feel the need to take every science and business line of study, to see the world, meet new people, and build my business empire, Yeah!
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of business empire obiwan?
ReplyDeleteI know mathematics is an odd answer. I've always had a sense of guilt that I should be naturally good at something most people struggle with and yet still not like it.
ReplyDeleteOh well Andrew, how does some business empire in boating and a riverside hotel down near Ocean City or the Gulf Sound, the only plan I need to set in motion is building the wealth, and grabbing the opportunity for a lot near the waterfront should it become available. Hey, if it ever goes, you never know, you might enjoy working for me should my idea ever come to fruition, other than that, I REALLY work as clerk/accounting agent for a registered agent business known as CSC, but otherwise, it's enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteAndrew: Are you looking for the accumulation of the knowledge of who thought what and why, or the attainment of actual wisdom? Because there's a wide gap between those.
ReplyDeleteThe first will allow you to dazzle and intimidate your rivals at cocktail parties, the second has a fair to middling chance of giving you a happier life.
K, It's Bev's question, so she could probably answer that better. Personally, I'm looking for metaphysical understanding... ohm.
ReplyDeletetryanmax, That's very Ayn Randian.
obiwan, My days of working for someone else are over.
ReplyDeleteAndrew, That sound of one hand clapping? That sort of thing? lol!
ReplyDeleteGrrr, if it's Randian, then I take it back.
ReplyDeleteDUQ, Yep, that and if a liberal whines about oppression in a forest will anybody care. That sort of thing. ;)
ReplyDeletetryanmax, Sorry, I thought perhaps you had converted!
The Great Courses® look awesome! Now if I only have a few thousand extra dollars lying around...
ReplyDeletetryanmax, They are pretty cool. If you wait for sales, you can get them a lot cheaper. Too bad file sharing isn't legal or I could send you a bunch. ;)
ReplyDeleteWell I just graduated from JU with my MBA so Woo Hooo!
ReplyDeleteI plan on continuing my education however if I could I would study graphic design
Sorry everyone! I've been absent, but great comments.
ReplyDeleteBtw Andrew, my brother was just telling me about the Great Courses"! He loves them.
K, I do not see the accumulation of knowledge and the attainment of wisdom as being mutually exclusive.
ReplyDeleteIndy, did you just graduate as in this weekend? Congrats!!
ReplyDeleteSaturday a week ago
ReplyDeleteTook me 10 years Lord I did not even realize it. I had a job that travelled as a consultant and had to quit, go back, retake classes. But I finished so... Thanks
NExt step Doctorial school Looking for Online Degree there so that I can get this quicker....
Bev, They are really great. I've got about two dozen, though I haven't watched them all yet. I've found them all to be truly excellent -- easily the best college course I ever took.
ReplyDeleteBev, By the way, check your e-mail if you haven't. I sent more film questions. :)
ReplyDeleteAndrew, I did about $5000 of window-shopping last night, and I only looked at the sale items. I think I'm gonna spring for one that grabbed my eye right off.
ReplyDeleteIndie, as a graphic designer myself, I don't mind revealing that it is an area of study that can easily be wedged in around other things. I actually didn't study design until after I completed by B.S. I never finished the program yet am now employed as a graphic designer. (Taking the job is actually why I didn't finish, a very common story in my field.)
Also, keep in mind that about 50% of most design programs are courses that teach you how to use the software and other tools, things that you can easily teach yourself if you are inclined. This is especially true in the internet age where online tutorials abound.
tryanmax, That's how I was. When I first started looking at the catalog I came up with thousands of dollars of things I wanted. But I waited and they put these things on SUPER sales -- like 70-90% off. I've still spent a bunch on these, but I feel a lot better about paying $60 for something that's normally $300. And I think they all go on sale at least once a year.
ReplyDeleteIt's fascinating concept they have going and I'm glad I ran across it. Even if you only end up with some trivia out of it, it's still fascinating. And I have yet to run across one that wasn't great.
Andrew, I followed the link too and am now looking at how many pennies I can gather. :D
ReplyDeleteSorry to break everyone's piggy banks! ;)
ReplyDeleteWe're all adults Andrew, we have no to blame but ourselves (and the guy who gave us the link)! :D
ReplyDeletetyranmax
ReplyDeleteThe courses I would be interested in most are those that teach you to draw. I know I don't have the talent to be a supurb artist but I can draw a little and can do OK with translating pictures to line drawing with Coral Draw and cannibalizing things.
Still I think classes in drawing and learning how to shrink large pictures down to size would be a great help with my hobby. By the By what is your opinion of Corel Photo Painter and Corel Painter versus Adobe's products. I have been using Corel but have to repurchase the software anyways. Shoulld I consider switching
Personal: more history and government (depending on professor), physics (useful, not theoretical), photography, horticulture
ReplyDeleteWork now: accounting (basics), social media/ website marketing
Future work: psych theory & techniques, child psych