What You'll Learn:
What’s the point of knowing the name of a particular flower, or the distance between the sun and the earth? Why does it matter if you can recite the definition of an especially obscure word? In most cases, such bits of trivial knowledge are practically purposeless, gaining the learner no benefit beyond the simple gift of knowing. And yet, this seemingly idle process of thinking is one of the most fulfilling activities anyone can partake in: The indescribable rush that flows from the process of discovering something new is the sustenance of daily life and creates a rewarding and necessarily pointless “intellectual life” thereafter. In a culture that prizes material benefit over inner impact, Professor Zena Hitz reawakens readers to the joys and necessities of this seemingly purposeless, endlessly fulfilling art of thinking.
Key Insights:
- Aimless thinking is a source of infinite contentment.
- Learning isn’t passive—it enables an active search for deep truths in the world and in oneself.
- The “inner life” is a respite from one world and a gateway to another.
- Thoughtful learning precedes contemplative living.
- The seemingly pointless life of thinking must be preserved for education to exist.
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