Do you love wisdom? If Yes, then you are Philosopher.

Have you ever been asked, what is your philosophy in life? More than three times in my life, different people asked me that question and quite frankly, I never liked it and so my answers were always defensive and wrong.

Three years back (2017), in an interview for a lecturing post at the University of Limpopo, they asked me. What is your teaching philosophy? As you can imagine, that question threw me off and I did not pass the interview.

I remember driving home after that interview and reflecting on which questions I answered well and which ones I did NOT particularly like. When the one about teaching philosophy came to mind, I snapped - WHAT THE HECK IS PHILOSOPHY ANYWAY?

My understanding of the word Philosophy was flawed. Recently, I learned that Philosophy is not merely a specialized discipline where you can get a degree but a way of thinking. Often times we complicate things and in my case, rush into answering a question without understanding it or seeking clarity first.

Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga capped it best when they said “Philosophy is more of a living attitude that a field of study.”

The original Greek word for Philosophy is Philosophia, which means “Love of Wisdom”. Therefore, a Philosopher is someone who loves wisdom or a lover of wisdom.

Wisdom, according to the dictionary, is described as the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgement; it is the quality of being a sensible or wise thinker.

Now, more than ever before, I am looking forward to answer any of these questions – What is your philosophy in life or what is your teaching philosophy.

Speaking of teaching philosophy, I never dreamed of taking up a lecturing position at University or being a teacher in school. In fact, teaching was always a NO for me. The interview I attended at the University of Limpopo was to gain an interview experience. That’s all.

However, I learned recently that one of the best ways to fully understand anything in life is by teaching others what you think you already know. In the process of teaching others, you will also learn from those you teach through discussions and experimentation's of various aspects of your subject matter.

In essence, you will be gaining more experience and wisdom, such that you become an expert especially if you are open to more growth and learning opportunities. Educate yourself first, then educate others. Seek first to understand, then to be understood.

As I conclude, my hope for you (Philosopher) is that you will teach others by sharing the joys of drinking from the wells of wisdom that shaped your outlook in life. “Education”, as Nelson Mandela once said “is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Unfortunately, our education system is not tailored for everyone and does not meet individual’s need because it is mostly designed to test the memory rather than the intelligence of a student.

According to the Greek philosophers, the objective of education is self-reliance and this can be achieved by loving and sharing wisdom that stood the test of time through respect.

“Respect means the concern that the other person should grow and unfold as he is, without negating anything or forcing anything, one accepts and values the person as he is. In other words, one protects, and has concern for another person’s dignity.” – Erich Fromm

As the educator, this is precisely what you should be aiming for - to cultivate a sense of self-reliance to your students; by spotting their unique abilities, and nurture them by further assisting/encouraging their growth and unfolding, without pushing any value system that is suited for another individual.