|
|
Post by swankivy on Jul 23, 2010 22:17:41 GMT -5
In Theory
Did you ever take a class or learn a skill for no practical reason? If so, were you glad, or did you regret the lost effort and time? Were you cautioned or criticized by family or friends for trying to do something that didn't seem useful to them?
|
|
|
|
Post by SHO! on Jul 23, 2010 22:31:18 GMT -5
In TheoryDid you ever take a class or learn a skill for no practical reason? If so, were you glad, or did you regret the lost effort and time? Were you cautioned or criticized by family or friends for trying to do something that didn't seem useful to them?
I'm actually debating something like that with some of my family and friends right now.
I was thinking of getting a gun permit, passport, bounty hunter's license, and fish & hunting license photo IDs not because I have any desires or current plans to leave the country, buy a gun, or hunt fugitives or wild life, but simply because I'd like to have the skill sets and choice to do any of those things if I ever so choose.
They think, "why waste the time?" My opinion is, "why not?" A few more stepping stones in my lofty but unrealistic goal to know everything. 
Next step: pilot's license!  OH, and stunt driving school! ;D |
|
|
|
Post by synesthesia on Jul 23, 2010 23:43:58 GMT -5
Ijust want to learn everything I can no matter how useful or useless it is. I'd like to master Japanese, learn samurai arts, which means fighting with a samurai sword. I know about insects, the difference between bugs and beetles,how to repair cars. The best thing about wanting to be a writer is it's USEFUL to know about things people think are useless. Like learning about pirates or the details about how to get a seeing eye dog.
Sure, relatives may say, why do you need to know that? Why read about autism for hours? But dang it it will be useful for a book or something!
Or maybe I just enjoy knowing random things and treating my brain like it's a big library of dusty tomes.
|
|
|
|
Post by customdesigned on Jul 24, 2010 11:48:27 GMT -5
Every theoretical subject is based on principles of immense practical importance. For instance, physics.
Ohm's law - no you can't run a 1200W skillet *and* a 1500W kettle on a 20A circuit, and you're lucky we have circuit breakers, or your house would be burning down.
Kirschoff's law (what goes in, must come out - for fungible incompressible substances) - no you can't buy anything until we throw something away first, our tiny house is full. No, we can't take on an additional monthly expense until we cut something else first.
Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle - observing things changes them. On the nano-scale, this is inescapable. Even at the macro level, this is often significant when least expected.
|
|
|
|
Post by Corinne on Jul 26, 2010 1:07:55 GMT -5
I love to learn. I would never feel like it were a waste of time to learn something, because I enjoy doing it and I always feel like someday, it might turn out to be useful—and if it doesn't, then I'm glad I know it anyway. I'm a bit like SHO! in that I'd like to know everything, though I realize it's completely impossible. The more you learn, the more you realize you know nothing. sighWhat's interesting is that the protagonist in the novel I'm focusing on right now (note to Ivy: I'll have to update you on that when you write and I answer back) is the opposite: he isn't interested in learning anything if it won't be useful to him. He didn't do very well in school, not because he's not intelligent—he is—but because he simply didn't see the point except in select subjects. It's very interesting to spend time inside his mind.  |
|
|
|
Post by SHO! on Jul 30, 2010 23:40:18 GMT -5
 How unfortunate for you. 
|
|
OH, and stunt driving school! ;D
How unfortunate for you. 