what I learned in school is...

How does one calculate the speed of light? What is the exact year Galileo invented the telescope? What impact has Bertrand Russell's never-ending search for the truth made in the name of philosophy?

These are questions we are expected to know; expected to learn, take notes, memorize, soak into our brains and spit the facts out come test day. But what good is this doing? What significance will these minor details play in a job in accounting or advertising, years down the road?

If there is one thing that I will take with me from such required classes, it is the ability to question everything and everyone around me. Philosophy and astronomy alike are constantly asking how we know something is true. We cannot simply trust others' judgement; we must contemplate the facts, dig deep into ourselves, and in essence, define the word truth.

"Re-examine all you've been told. Dismiss those that insult the soul." Walt Whitman

By examining your life and the world, you are granting yourself the power to view the world the way you wish to see it, or rather, see it for what it really is. It can be a beautiful place, full of happiness, hopes and optimism, or it can be a world corrupted by humanity's selfish tendencies. Whatever view one may take, it is their own. 

Composer Eric Whitacre. Photo from Google.

Song of the Day: My music major friends have introduced me to Cloudburst by Composer Eric Whitacre. It's beautiful.