[Music] [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
hello I was fortunate enough to take two
hello I was fortunate enough to take two semesters abroad before I finished high
semesters abroad before I finished high
semesters abroad before I finished high school I went on the semester at sea
school I went on the semester at sea
school I went on the semester at sea program which provides classes aboard a
program which provides classes aboard a
program which provides classes aboard a ship as it sails across the world I
ship as it sails across the world I
ship as it sails across the world I would do my classwork and then someone
would do my classwork and then someone
would do my classwork and then someone would paste Italy onto the ocean outside
would paste Italy onto the ocean outside
would paste Italy onto the ocean outside and I had four days to run about and
and I had four days to run about and
and I had four days to run about and absorb as much as I could before it was
absorb as much as I could before it was
absorb as much as I could before it was replaced the next week with Croatia and
replaced the next week with Croatia and
replaced the next week with Croatia and for a while that was my life and it was
for a while that was my life and it was
for a while that was my life and it was magical and I loved every moment but
magical and I loved every moment but
magical and I loved every moment but after the 12th week on my second voyage
after the 12th week on my second voyage
after the 12th week on my second voyage I was quite suddenly exhausted grateful
I was quite suddenly exhausted grateful
I was quite suddenly exhausted grateful of course but tired so I began
of course but tired so I began
of course but tired so I began travelling badly I would look outside
travelling badly I would look outside
travelling badly I would look outside and see the new world and immediately
and see the new world and immediately
and see the new world and immediately began judging the area I would compare
began judging the area I would compare
began judging the area I would compare it to other countries and rank aspects
it to other countries and rank aspects
it to other countries and rank aspects of it and lists I had made up I wasn’t
of it and lists I had made up I wasn’t
of it and lists I had made up I wasn’t learning
learning
learning I was categorizing the cause of this
I was categorizing the cause of this
I was categorizing the cause of this judgmental attitude I feel was a
judgmental attitude I feel was a
judgmental attitude I feel was a microcosm for what many of us
microcosm for what many of us
microcosm for what many of us experienced over many years we reach a
experienced over many years we reach a
experienced over many years we reach a point where we are tired or just
point where we are tired or just
point where we are tired or just arrogant and we – now a lot of incoming
arrogant and we – now a lot of incoming
arrogant and we – now a lot of incoming signal I found that in understanding why
signal I found that in understanding why
signal I found that in understanding why I did this myself that I was
I did this myself that I was
I did this myself that I was disregarding news articles that
disregarding news articles that
disregarding news articles that suggested they might disagree with me or
suggested they might disagree with me or
suggested they might disagree with me or even advice from close friends and while
even advice from close friends and while
even advice from close friends and while this attitude can be enormous ly useful
this attitude can be enormous ly useful
this attitude can be enormous ly useful if we want to get work done quickly it
if we want to get work done quickly it
if we want to get work done quickly it can be difficult to reverse this habit
can be difficult to reverse this habit
can be difficult to reverse this habit when new information comes along that
when new information comes along that
when new information comes along that could broaden our perspectives
could broaden our perspectives
could broaden our perspectives I found help for this problem in my
I found help for this problem in my
I found help for this problem in my studies at Saint John’s College which
studies at Saint John’s College which
studies at Saint John’s College which provides a unique curriculum called the
provides a unique curriculum called the
provides a unique curriculum called the great books program it demands reading a
great books program it demands reading a
great books program it demands reading a large amount of the greatest Western
large amount of the greatest Western
large amount of the greatest Western works from the last 2,500 years from
works from the last 2,500 years from
works from the last 2,500 years from math to theology to science
math to theology to science
math to theology to science Theology I was interested because for
Theology I was interested because for
Theology I was interested because for the first time I wouldn’t be reading
the first time I wouldn’t be reading
the first time I wouldn’t be reading textbooks summarizing chosen Western
textbooks summarizing chosen Western
textbooks summarizing chosen Western thought to me I would be reading the
thought to me I would be reading the
thought to me I would be reading the books themselves the reading list was
books themselves the reading list was
books themselves the reading list was diverse and difficult and I found that
diverse and difficult and I found that
diverse and difficult and I found that when I arrived my problems while
when I arrived my problems while
when I arrived my problems while interacting with these works at first as
interacting with these works at first as
interacting with these works at first as a freshman were the exact same as I had
a freshman were the exact same as I had
a freshman were the exact same as I had had on the ship
had on the ship
had on the ship I had trouble indulging in these
I had trouble indulging in these
I had trouble indulging in these thoughts on ancient philosophy and
thoughts on ancient philosophy and
thoughts on ancient philosophy and science because I had no frame of
science because I had no frame of
science because I had no frame of reference for them I a judgmental
reference for them I a judgmental
reference for them I a judgmental attitude couldn’t work their complexity
attitude couldn’t work their complexity
attitude couldn’t work their complexity made them unsuitable and so I found
made them unsuitable and so I found
made them unsuitable and so I found myself stuck I found that there is a
myself stuck I found that there is a
myself stuck I found that there is a moment of decision we have when we
moment of decision we have when we
moment of decision we have when we decide whether or not to respect and
decide whether or not to respect and
decide whether or not to respect and learn from a new perspective and idea
learn from a new perspective and idea
learn from a new perspective and idea very similar to choosing whether or not
very similar to choosing whether or not
very similar to choosing whether or not to step off a boat and explore a new
to step off a boat and explore a new
to step off a boat and explore a new land we can decide that the new idea is
land we can decide that the new idea is
land we can decide that the new idea is ludicrous
ludicrous
ludicrous and sail away such as when the ancient
and sail away such as when the ancient
and sail away such as when the ancient astronomer Ptolemy said that the earth
astronomer Ptolemy said that the earth
astronomer Ptolemy said that the earth is clearly in the center of the solar
is clearly in the center of the solar
is clearly in the center of the solar system and universe and gives pages of
system and universe and gives pages of
system and universe and gives pages of proof as to why if we know knowing what
proof as to why if we know knowing what
proof as to why if we know knowing what we know now and we look at this we can
we know now and we look at this we can
we know now and we look at this we can ignore it and move on but if we continue
ignore it and move on but if we continue
ignore it and move on but if we continue studying this work and look forward at
studying this work and look forward at
studying this work and look forward at what he did to come to these conclusions
what he did to come to these conclusions
what he did to come to these conclusions and the work he did after we are given
and the work he did after we are given
and the work he did after we are given the most incredible amount of ancient
the most incredible amount of ancient
the most incredible amount of ancient geometry and the foundation for how many
geometry and the foundation for how many
geometry and the foundation for how many of us in the Western world understood
of us in the Western world understood
of us in the Western world understood our place in the larger cosmos at this
our place in the larger cosmos at this
our place in the larger cosmos at this pivotal moment of decision I feel we are
pivotal moment of decision I feel we are
pivotal moment of decision I feel we are inevitably visited by a nuisance of a
inevitably visited by a nuisance of a
inevitably visited by a nuisance of a figure behind our shoulder that begins
figure behind our shoulder that begins
figure behind our shoulder that begins muttering disapprovingly saying things
muttering disapprovingly saying things
muttering disapprovingly saying things like oh we don’t have the time to
like oh we don’t have the time to
like oh we don’t have the time to consider this silly new opinion right
consider this silly new opinion right
consider this silly new opinion right now or that we’re too tired at the
now or that we’re too tired at the
now or that we’re too tired at the moment I found that as I practiced
moment I found that as I practiced
moment I found that as I practiced saying Schuster’s character I could make
saying Schuster’s character I could make
saying Schuster’s character I could make trips further and further along and as I
trips further and further along and as I
trips further and further along and as I kept going along the muttering got more
kept going along the muttering got more
kept going along the muttering got more aggressive the questions became ruder
aggressive the questions became ruder
aggressive the questions became ruder asking where the idea came from who said
asking where the idea came from who said
asking where the idea came from who said the idea what mistakes have they made
the idea what mistakes have they made
the idea what mistakes have they made why should we bother listen to listening
why should we bother listen to listening
why should we bother listen to listening to the politics of a stranger
to the politics of a stranger
to the politics of a stranger as I went along and I got better I found
as I went along and I got better I found
as I went along and I got better I found that I never regretted the indulgences I
that I never regretted the indulgences I
that I never regretted the indulgences I made into these ancient thoughts
made into these ancient thoughts
made into these ancient thoughts I only ever regretted my inability to go
I only ever regretted my inability to go
I only ever regretted my inability to go further from my comfort zone and so with
further from my comfort zone and so with
further from my comfort zone and so with practice remarkable ancient thoughts
practice remarkable ancient thoughts
practice remarkable ancient thoughts that once seemed silly at first glance
that once seemed silly at first glance
that once seemed silly at first glance became easier to entertain and then
became easier to entertain and then
became easier to entertain and then enjoy and then love the ludicrous became
enjoy and then love the ludicrous became
enjoy and then love the ludicrous became interesting then reasonable then
interesting then reasonable then
interesting then reasonable then unspeakably brilliant I found that the
unspeakably brilliant I found that the
unspeakably brilliant I found that the most life-changing advice always
most life-changing advice always
most life-changing advice always required from me the most Trust and
required from me the most Trust and
required from me the most Trust and willing participation before they
willing participation before they
willing participation before they yielded up their rewards so now as I
yielded up their rewards so now as I
yielded up their rewards so now as I enter my junior year I think I’m doing
enter my junior year I think I’m doing
enter my junior year I think I’m doing better I’m still generalized a bit too
better I’m still generalized a bit too
better I’m still generalized a bit too much but it’s getting better if I could
much but it’s getting better if I could
much but it’s getting better if I could give advice to myself five years ago I
give advice to myself five years ago I
give advice to myself five years ago I would say to be enormous ly careful of
would say to be enormous ly careful of
would say to be enormous ly careful of when you decided that a new idea is too
when you decided that a new idea is too
when you decided that a new idea is too silly to be considered further
silly to be considered further
silly to be considered further considering strange new ideas should be
considering strange new ideas should be
considering strange new ideas should be considered in exercise and for as long
considered in exercise and for as long
considered in exercise and for as long as we are out of shape we risk traveling
as we are out of shape we risk traveling
as we are out of shape we risk traveling far and wide and only seeing and hearing
far and wide and only seeing and hearing
far and wide and only seeing and hearing what we expected to find with these old
what we expected to find with these old
what we expected to find with these old thoughts and these new thoughts it
thoughts and these new thoughts it
thoughts and these new thoughts it became a matter of practice to see how
became a matter of practice to see how
became a matter of practice to see how far I could go into them and I found
far I could go into them and I found
far I could go into them and I found that whenever we have the choice we must
that whenever we have the choice we must
that whenever we have the choice we must treat these new thoughts with both with
treat these new thoughts with both with
treat these new thoughts with both with both the most respect and the most
both the most respect and the most
both the most respect and the most indulgence that we possibly can for
indulgence that we possibly can for
indulgence that we possibly can for every new idea or every old idea thank
every new idea or every old idea thank
every new idea or every old idea thank you
you
you [Applause]
you
you [Applause]
”
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