Freire, a Wise Man

Tenth Letter:

“Without discipline, one does not create intellectual work, read texts seriously, write carefully, observe and analyze facts, or establish relationships among them,” Freire, pp. 155.

Out of all Freire’s writings, this one I kind of have to disagree with, because I feel like sometimes peoples passions guide them to do one or all of these things naturally. I am, also, flattered because I feel like what he talks about in this chapter makes me feel like a better student, with more discipline than I thought. Sometimes, for me at least, I feel like I naturally create intellectual work, read texts seriously, write carefully, observe and analyze facts, or establish relationships among them, because I’m present and engaged. Don’t get me wrong, sitting here tonight, taking the time to write this reflection, is indeed discipline for me because I want to go out, or rest. However, my point is more so, study regarded as “disciplined,” seems to have a negative connotation, when really experiences, curiosity, and wonder for life and interactions, whether it be traveling, reading, or school can be a effortless acquisition of something you love.

Last Words:

“The process of knowing, which involves the whole conscious self, feelings, emotions, memory, affects, an epistemologically curious mind, focused on the object, equally involves other thinking subjects, that is, others also capable of knowing and curious,” Freire, pp. 165

I love, love, love this quote, and cannot wait to post this too my blog. I’ve always been told about this “knowing,” mostly in religious institutions. But dissecting this idea of a “knowing,” is really interesting. I always felt it to be an intuition of sorts and this quote by Freire connects my exiting ideas on why we choose, and do, and to be who we are, to new ideas on “growing and knowing.”  There is mystery and curiosity around our education, what we choose to learn, and our path in life, paradoxically, to individuals “know,” the choices that lead them to their destiny, which is based off a collaboration of emotions, memory, “gut feelings,” whatever this unexplainable ability is, is somewhat more explainable, or just more understood, after reading this chapter.

Freire, P. (1998). Tenth Letter. Last Words. In Teachers as cultural workers: Letters to those who dare teach (pp. 155-173). Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press.