Hello, bloggers!
Having recently addressed the graduating class at the University of Bradford, England, I've been thinking about how much I enjoy speaking with young people.
What I get out of speaking to young people is their openness: their openness to new ideas, to axioms, change, debate, and possibilities.
It’s like a big sponge. You can throw a lot of water on it, and it sinks in, and you know that at some point it’s going to be squeezed and really fertilize and nurture their whole existence.
So when I have a conversation with students, it isn’t a one-sided conversation. If there are four of us there, everybody has something to say, and we’re not just parrotting one thing to another. It’s a question and answer, it’s a mini-debate, it’s a delving into whatever the subject is—especially subjects that are very important to the students and myself.
I really love the issues that are stimulating to discussion among people from different disciplines. They’re looking at the same thing from very different standpoints. Somebody is looking at it as a designer, somebody else as a painter, and another person as a chef.
Everyone has their own opinion, and we all walk away with a little more acceptance of each other, a little more realization that we live in a very diverse world.
It helps us realize that we really don’t know squat about a lot of things, but what we do know could be opened up to conversation, speculation, and debate of axioms we think are set in stone.
With the students, there’s no animosity, it just is what it is. It’s done in playfulness, joy, and a really non-judgmental reaction to other people’s ideas.
My least favorite times in life are when someone comes up and tries to make something out of nothing just to make themselves look big. I put that under the category of “bullshit,” and I’d just as soon go home and go to bed!
I call that the barking of the barking dog or the braying of the mules. Life is made up of barking dogs, braying mules, and very important conversations. I suppose it depends on what side of bed you got up on and maybe what you had for dinner!
As for me, I'd rather have a great, open discussion, debate, and conversation with young people, who really are the most important people in te world.
Matt