THINKER'S ALMANAC - October 30

How might you argue that the most important of all your years of formal education is kindergarten?

Subject:  Personal Philosophy - Credo

Event:  All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, 1989.

Live by this credo: have a little laugh at life and look around you for happiness instead of sadness. Laughter has always brought me out of unhappy situations. -Red Skelton

On this day in 1989, Robert Fulghum published his book All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.  The book, which stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for almost two years, is a collection of short essays, subtitled “Uncommon Thoughts on Common Things.”

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Fulghum grew up in Waco, Texas, and before he began writing full time, he was a Unitarian minister and an art and philosophy teacher.

The first essay in Fulghum’s book, called “Credo,” explains the origin of his book’s title.  Fulghum recalls that each spring throughout his life he would sit down and write a personal credo, a list of statements of personal belief.  This list evolved over the years with statements that were sometimes comical, sometimes bland, sometimes cynical, and sometimes over-complicated.  The final version of his credo came to him, however, when he realized that true meaning in life did not need to be complicated.  In fact, he already knew what he needed to know; he had learned it a long time ago in kindergarten. The basic rules he learned like “Share everything,” “Play fair,” and “Clear up your own mess” served him throughout life (1).

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten has spawned numerous imitations, spinoffs, and parodies based on television shows, movies, books, etc.  These imitations adopt Fulghum’s title and list as their template, beginning with “All I Really Need to Know I Learned From ______,” followed by a list of principles based on the source of inspiration.

For example:

All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Watching Star Trek

All I Really Need to Know I Learned from My Dog

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Fairy Tales

A further adaptation narrows the learning a bit to a single specific area, as in:

All I Really Need to Know about ___________ I Learned from ___________

One example of this kind of spinoff is a book, published in 2014 by Paul Oyer, Everything I Ever Needed to Know about Economics I Learned from Online Dating.

Recall, Retrieve, Recite, Ruminate, Reflect, Reason:  What are some possible credos you might take from two separate sources that have influenced you?

Challenge:  Create Your Credo:  How would you finish the following titles, and what principles would you include in your personal credo?  “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in/from ______.”  And “All I Really Need to Know about ___________ I Learned in/from ___________.”

Create your own spin-off of Fulghum’s credo.  Brainstorm some ideas based on books, movies, television shows, the internet, or some other aspect of life that you know well.  Once you have selected a single focus, generate a list of principles that spring from your selected area.  Your list may contain serious insights or humorous insights.  (Common Core Writing 2 – Expository)

ALSO ON THIS DAY:

October 30, 1938:  Listeners throughout the U.S. mistake a radio production of H.G. Wells’ novel The War of the Worlds for an actual alien invasion.

Sources:

1-Fulghum, Robert. All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. New York:  Ballantine Books, 1989.

THINKER'S ALMANAC - October 3

What single word has inspired over one hundred thousand people to write an essay about their personal philosophy of life?

Subject:  Personal  Philosophical Credo - This I Believe Essays

Event:  This I Believe book published, 2006

In 1951, a unique radio program called This I Believe began, hosted by the journalist Edward R. Murrow.  The idea was to invite individuals to write and read their personal essays on air.  The basic invitation was to “write a few hundred words expressing the core principles that guide your life -- your personal credo.”  The word credo is from the Latin for “I believe.”

The radio program ran for four years and was later revived on National Public Radio.  To date, over 125,000 essays have been written, and on October 3, 2006, an anthology of This I Believe essays was published.  The collection included essays by people from all walks of life, including such well-known individuals as Albert Einstein, Bill Gates, Anthony Fauci, Helen Keller, and Eleanor Roosevelt.

Image by Rodrigo Pignatta from Pixabay

In one of the thousands of essays that can be accessed online at ThisIbelieve.org, Yvette Doss of South Pasadena, California, shares her discovery and belief in philosophy:

Thanks to philosophers, my new friends, I considered my thoughts worth expressing and later, when I tried my hand at writing, I experienced the joy of seeing my thoughts fill a page.

I believe the wisdom of the ages helped me see beyond my station in life, helped me imagine a world in which I mattered. Philosophy gave me permission to use my mind, and the inspiration to aim high in my goals for myself. Philosophy allowed me to dare to imagine a world in which man can reason his way to justice, women can choose their life’s course, and the poor can lift themselves out of the gutter.

Philosophy taught me that logic makes equals of us all. (1)

When putting together your personal philosophy into a “This I Believe” essay, think of the following four Bs:

1. Be Specific:  Illustrate your belief by telling your story. Show your reader -- instead of telling -- by grounding your core philosophy in specific, concrete details.

2. Be Brief:  Write between 500 and 600 words.  As you revise and edit, read it out loud. It should be about three minutes long when read at a natural pace.

3. Be Positive:  Frame your philosophy in positive terms, and focus on what you DO believe rather than what you DO NOT believe.

4. Be Personal: Write in the first person.  Remember, it’s called “This I Believe,” not “This We Believe” (2).

Recall, Retrieve, Recite, Ruminate, Reflect, Reason: What are the 4 Bs of This I Believe Essays? Which two of the Bs do you think are most important for effective writing and why is each important?

 

Challenge - Create A Credo:  Visit the This I Believe website, and read some of the essays.  Then, keeping the four Bs in mind, write your own essay.

Sources:

1. Doss, Yvette.  “Finding Equality Through Logic”  This I Believe. August 3, 2008

2. “This I Believe Essay Writing Suggestions.”  Thisibelieve.org.

THINKER'S ALMANAC - May 2

What was the $2 bet that prompted director Errol Morris to commit his life to the pursuit of truth?

Subject: Epistemology - “There is Such a Thing as Truth”

Event:  Errol Morris published his This I Believe Essay, 2005

We swallow greedily any lie that flatters us, but we sip only little by little at a truth we find bitter.  -Denis Diderot

Imagine a map of the West Coast.  Which city would you say is further west: Reno, Nevada or Los Angeles, California?

Writer and director Errol Morris remembers asking a boy in his neighborhood this question when he was 10 years old, betting the boy $2 that the correct answer was Reno.  Even after Morris showed the boy a map, confirming the correct answer, the boy refused to believe that the true answer was Reno.  This experience taught Morris a powerful lesson about truth and people’s relationship with it:

There is such a thing as truth, but we often have a vested interest in ignoring it or outright denying it. Also, it's not just thinking something that makes it true. Truth is not relative. It's not subjective. It may be elusive or hidden. People may wish to disregard it. But there is such a thing as truth and the pursuit of truth: trying to figure out what has really happened, trying to figure out how things really are. (1)

                                                                Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay 

Morris told this geography anecdote in an essay that he wrote and recorded for National Public Radio’s series called This I Believe. It was published on this day in 2005. The series began in 1951, hosted by legendary broadcaster Edward R. Murrow.  Since it began, hundreds of essays have been written and recorded, each based on the same simple prompt: “Write a few hundred words (350-500) expressing the core principles that guide your life -- your personal credo” (2).

Errol Morris’ credo is clearly established in his essay’s title:  “There is Such a Thing as Truth.”  In 1988, Morris made a movie that freed an innocent man who had been falsely convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison in Texas. His movie The Thin Blue Line is a case study in Morris’ pathological obsession with finding the truth.  The film also illustrates a sad example of how others, like the neighbor boy from Morris’ youth, not only refuse to accept the truth but will manipulate it to suit their purposes.

Recall, Retrieve, Recite, Ruminate, Reflect, Reason: What did Errol Morris’ childhood bet teach him about truth?  What is a credo?

Challenge - First Person Personal Philosophies:  Go to the This I Believe website, and read some sample essays that state the credos of well-known individuals as well as ordinary people.  Then, write your own This I Believe Essay stating and explaining your own credo.

ALSO ON THIS DAY:

-May 2, 1611:  Today is the anniversary of the publication of what is probably the most influential work in the history of the English language, the King James translation of the Old and New Testaments.  Of course, on might argue that it is not one work but 66 separate books (39 Old Testament and 27 New Testament); nevertheless, the reading and proclaiming o the words from the King James Bible have made a significant impact on the words we speak. 

Sources:

1-Morris, Errol.  “There is Such a Thing as Truth.” All Things Considered National Public Radio 2 May 2005.

2- Allison, Jay and Dan Gediman (Editors).  This I Believe:  The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women.  New York:  Henry Holt, 2006.

THINKER'S ALMANAC - May 2

What was the $2 bet that prompted director Errol Morris to commit his life to the pursuit of truth?

Subject: Epistemology - “There is Such a Thing as Truth”

Event:  Errol Morris published his This I Believe Essay, 2005

We swallow greedily any lie that flatters us, but we sip only little by little at a truth we find bitter.  -Denis Diderot

Imagine a map of the West Coast.  Which city would you say is further west: Reno, Nevada or Los Angeles, California?

Writer and director Errol Morris remembers asking a boy in his neighborhood this question when he was 10 years old, betting the boy $2 that the correct answer was Reno.  Even after Morris showed the boy a map, confirming the correct answer, the boy refused to believe that the true answer was Reno.  This experience taught Morris a powerful lesson about truth and people’s relationship with it:

There is such a thing as truth, but we often have a vested interest in ignoring it or outright denying it. Also, it's not just thinking something that makes it true. Truth is not relative. It's not subjective. It may be elusive or hidden. People may wish to disregard it. But there is such a thing as truth and the pursuit of truth: trying to figure out what has really happened, trying to figure out how things really are. (1)

Morris told this geography anecdote in an essay that he wrote and recorded for National Public Radio’s series called This I Believe. It was published on this day in 2005. The series began in 1951, hosted by legendary broadcaster Edward R. Murrow.  Since it began, hundreds of essays have been written and recorded, each based on the same simple prompt: “Write a few hundred words (350-500) expressing the core principles that guide your life -- your personal credo” (2).

Errol Morris’ credo is clearly established in his essay’s title:  “There is Such a Thing as Truth.”  In 1988, Morris made a movie that freed an innocent man who had been falsely convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison in Texas. His movie The Thin Blue Line is a case study in Morris’ pathological obsession with finding the truth.  The film also illustrates a sad example of how others, like the neighbor boy from Morris’ youth, not only refuse to accept the truth but will manipulate it to suit their purposes.

Recall, Retrieve, Recite, Ruminate, Reflect, Reason:  What did Morris’ bet teach him about truth?

Challenge - First Person Personal Philosophies:  Go to the This I Believe website, and read some sample essays that state the credos of well-known individuals as well as ordinary people.  Then, write your own This I Believe Essay stating and explaining your own credo.

Sources:

1-Morris, Errol.  “There is Such a Thing as Truth.” All Things Considered National Public Radio 2 May 2005.

2- Allison, Jay and Dan Gediman (Editors).  This I Believe:  The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women.  New York:  Henry Holt, 2006.

THINKER'S ALMANAC - November 28

Why did a British organization founded in 1660 make its motto “Take no man’s word for it”?

Subject:  Science -  Nullius in verba

Event: The founding of the Royal Society, 1660

On this day in 1660, The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge was founded.  

After attending a lecture by Christopher Wren, a 25-year-old professor of astronomy at Gresham College, twelve men met to discuss the idea of creating a new organization, a society to promote experimental learning.

Image by felixioncool from Pixabay

The men were inspired by Francis Bacon’s book Novum Organum, where he first proposed what would become known as the scientific method.  Bacon proposed that the source of knowledge should not  just be what someone believes; instead, it should be based on what they do, specifically a process of observations, inquiries, and experiments.  This process should include the seeking out of disconfirming evidence as well as confirming evidence, and it should be a collaborative process, hence the necessity for a society based on fellowship and made up of fellows.

The Royal Society became truly official -- and truly “royal” -- when it was first granted a charter in July 1662. Christopher Wren persuaded the King of England, Charles II, to become its founder and patron.  Supposedly a part of Wren’s pitch involved his drawing of magnified louse and a homemade lunar globe featuring details of the moon’s surface.

Although English was agreed upon as the society’s primary language, its motto is “Nullius in verba,” which means “Take no man’s word for it.”  It’s an appropriate motto for an organization that is determined to resist claims of authority and to test all things based on facts, evidence, and experiment.  

In 2015, the writer Nicholas Clairmont, elaborated on the the Royal Society’s mission:

The scientific method is a codification of the skeptic’s credo. It charges us to question not just the ideas that we don’t like, but also the ideas that are dear to us. It even asks us to imagine that we may be acting based on assumptions we don’t know we have made, and to question those too. The Royal Society, one of the great scientific institutions in the history of human progress, incubator for the ideas of Isaac Newton and countless others, bears as its motto the phrase nullius in verba: “Don’t take anybody’s word for it. (2)

Today the British Royal Society remains the oldest scientific institution in the world.

Recall, Retrieve, Recite, Ruminate, Reflect, Reason: How does the quest for truth guided by the motto “Nullius in verba” differ from traditional, flawed methods of seeking truth? 

Challenge - Seeing Better Through Science:  What is the best thing that has ever been said about science and the importance of the scientific method.  Do a search on some quotations.  When you find one you like, write it down, and explain why you think it is insightful.

ALSO ON THIS DAY:

November 28, 1976:  Thin Blue Line murder of Robert Wood

ESSAY 1:  There Is Such a Thing as Truth - https://thisibelieve.org/essay/28/

Sources:

1-Keeler, C. Richard. “Three Hundred Fifty Years of the Royal Society.” Arch Ophthalmol. 2011;129(10):1361-1365. Oct. 2011.

2-Clairmont, Nicholas.  “The Skeptic’s Credo.”  The American Interest. 9 April 2015.

THINKER'S ALMANAC - September 7

What 21 motivational words, written over 2,500 years ago by a Greek historian, are etched in granite on the facade of a New York City office building?

Subject:  Philosophical Mottos - Words Chiseled in Granite

Event:  New York City’s main post office opens, 1914

The main post office building in New York City opened its doors on September 7, 1914.  The building’s main claim to fame is the inscription chiseled in gray granite on its enormous façade, which reads:

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.

 

Although many will recognize these words as the motto of the United States Postal Service, officials are quick to point out that there is no official U.S.P.S. motto.  Nevertheless, it would be difficult to find another building in the world that more effectively uses the words engraved on its outside walls to capture and to motivate the mission that is fulfilled inside.

The words of the inscription originate from the Greek historian Herodotus and refer to Persian mounted postal couriers who served faithfully in the wars between the Greeks and the Persians (500-449 B.C.) (1).

Image by Vicki Hamilton from Pixabay

When you think of mottos, think of “motivation.”  Mottos are intended to prime the populace for positive action.  A motto is a phrase or sentence that sums up the motivation, purpose, or guiding principles of a group, organization, or institution.  Whether a family motto, state motto, or company motto, they are always clear, concise, and constructive. It’s appropriate to think of a motto as something you might chisel in stone because unlike slogans, which are usually spoken, mottos are written, such as the state mottos you see on license plates or a national motto you see on coins or paper money (The official motto of the United States is “In God We Trust.”).  Because mottos date back to ancient times, you will often see them written in other languages, such as the motto of the United States Marine Corps, the Latin Semper Fidelis (“Always Faithful”).

Educational institutions have a long tradition of using mottos to motivate and unify their student bodies toward a common goal.  The following are some examples:

-University of Rhode Island:  Think big.  We do.

-Florida State University:  Vires, artes, ormes  (Strength, Skill, Character)

-James Madison University:  Knowledge is liberty.

-Central Washington University:  Docendo Discimus (By Teaching, We Learn)

-Montclair State University:  Carpe diem  = Seize The Day

-University of North Carolina at Wilmington: Discere Aude = Dare To Learn

-University of Oregon:  Mens agitat molem = Minds Move Mountains

-Evergreen State College:  Omnia Extares = “Let It All Hang Out.”

-Antioch College: Be Ashamed to Die Until You Have Won Some Victory for Humanity

Just as states, companies, or schools employ mottos to focus their mission, you might also develop your own personal, motivational motto.  Think, for example, of the great philosophers who, although they are long dead, remain alive because of the ideas they captured so eloquently in words:

-Socrates:  “The unexamined life is not worth living.”

-Aristotle:  “We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

-Descartes  “I think, therefore, I am.”

-Francis Bacon:  “Knowledge is power.”

-Yoda: “Do or do not.  There is no try.”

Recall, Retrieve, Recite, Ruminate, Reflect, Reason:  What is the difference, with examples, between a credo and a motto?

Challenge - My Motto:  Craft your own personal motto by taking inventory of your core values and your major life goals.  Remember, think of something that is powerfully and positively stated -- something profound enough to be etched into granite or tattooed on your arm.  Make it memorable by being concise, and also consider the tried and true rhetorical tricks for making something easy to remember:  alliteration, rhyme, parallelism, tricolon, anaphora, or antithesis.

Also, don’t forget about the motivational element.  It should be something that you can turn to again and again -- in times of chaos, confusion, or self-doubt.  Look for the kind of inspirational words that will remind you who you are and where you want to go, the kind of words that will serve as a compass to point you back in the right direction (2).

Also on This Day:

September 7, 1979:  The all-sports network ESPN is launched with its first show:  SportsCenter.

Sources:

1- U.S.P.S. Postal Service Mission and Motto. Oct. 1999.

2-Fagan, Abigail. “9 Reasons You Need a Personal Motto.” Psychology Today 21 Aug. 2015.