Learning

Confucius was a wise man. His observations about the various stages of life are particularly astute, despite the massive differences between the world he inhabited in China 2,500 years ago and our globalised lives in the 21st century.

‘Study’ is a key part of my work, making up about 25% of my workload (ideally … though these are not ideal times). I wanted to share that fact with a prayer group the other day. “It’s important to be a ‘reflective practitioner,” I planned to tell them.

But then that overly critical inner voice started hounding me. “What is a middle-aged woman doing still studying? Surely you should have moved past that stage long before now?”

My inner critic has a point.

What would Confucius say?

Confucius

Confucius said, “At 15, one should throw himself into learning; at age 30 one is established in life; by age 40, one is free from doubts; at 50, one knows the ‘mandate of heaven’ (what your purpose is in life); at 60 one’s ear is attuned (to listen to good and not rubbish … I think), and at 70 years of age, one can do whatever one wants because rules don’t apply to him anymore.”

子曰：‘‘吾十有五而志于学，三十而立，四十而不惑，五十而知天命，六十而耳顺，七十而从心所欲，不逾矩。

Confucius lived approximately from 551BC to 479BC

Age appropriate

Those of us who have the privilege of living in different parts of the world for lengthy periods of life don’t always neatly fit the categories laid out by that wise old man. I look back on my own life.

“At 15, one should hard at learning” – yes, that I did. I learnt well in my first language.

“At age 30 one is established in life.” On my 30th birthday, I was a student AGAIN. I was stumbling through language textbooks that ten-year-old kids in my adopted country could have read more fluently than me. Though let it be known that I was reasonably competent in my first language.

Changing my country of residence at age 27 threw everything into confusion. Choosing to transplant myself into a place in which my strengths and abilities were stripped away was humiliating. Nevertheless, it was process which enriched and grew me in ways I could never have anticipated.

“By age 40, one is free from doubts.” Ha! During my forties, I returned to Australia ‘for good’ … twice … once when I was 40 and again when I was 47. Though I must say that being comfortable in my own skin was important for riding a few rough rapids of life that decade.

“At age 50, one knows the ‘mandate of heaven’ (your purpose is in life).” That’s where I am at now. (Well, I’m a couple of years into my 50s.) Do I know ‘the mandate of heaven’? Why am I still studying?

“At age 60 one’s ear is attuned.” I saw this just today when an older lady cut my fringe (‘bangs’ in North American English). She was complaining about how negative some people are. Then she added, “But I’m too old to be bothered listening to them. I just ignore them.” Yes, now in her 60s, her ear is attuned to good and not bad.

“At 70 years of age, one can do whatever one wants because rules don’t apply anymore.” If I make it to 70, I might wear the sort of sparkly outfits with bouncy skirts that little girls wear sometimes. And I might get a purple foil in my hair. We’ll see.

A personal ‘mandate of heaven’

Let’s get back to the question of this 52-year-old woman still engaged in academia. Could it be that study IS very much part of the ‘mandate of heaven’ for me right now?

I took a ‘Strengths Finders’ assessment a couple of years back as part of a short secular hobby writing course. (Look up ‘Clifton Gallup Strengths’ if you’re interested.) According to my responses to their questions, my particular strengths are: (1) learner, (2) developer, (3) input, (4) connectedness and (5) restorative. Official descriptions of these categories can be found on the Clifton Strengths website or their book, but in short, I like to learn and I like to see others do well.

I was reminded of another English teacher … a Westerner like me who also taught English overseas. He was also impacted through living amongst a people who were very different to himself. No doubt his ‘stages of life’ were a little mixed up too.

Like Confucius, this man was a keen observer of life. He later took his observations and opinions and put them through the rigours of academia. The result was a movement that has influenced a great many other workers, myself included.

I am speaking of the somewhat mysterious man who popularised the concept of ‘the 3D gospel’. He is best known for his observation that people interpret life through various lenses of ‘shame and honour’ or ‘guilt and innocence’ or ‘fear and power’. He chooses to remain relatively unknown because of regular visits to sensitive parts of the world. (I need to be wise for similar reasons too.) If you’re interested, check out his blog on www.honorshame.com

A dream

My dream is that this Australian English teacher cum eternal student can make a significant contribution to God’s work during this decade even as I spend time in the books.

God has given us different roles in his kingdom work. He has given me a love for learning. Unlike when I was a teenage girl, though, I am not preparing for the future. No, in many ways, I am taking what has shaped me in the past and honing it. I am observing things and delving into those matters much more deeply, with the hope that approaches and programmes can be improved upon.

THIS is ‘the mandate of heaven’ (as Confucius expressed it) for me.

And so, in answer to my inner critic which tries to discourage me, I say this: ‘Study remains a part of the work to which God has called me right now. So stop being negative and start working with me to study well.’ When I did my short little presentation to the prayer group later that day (online, of course), I outlined the reasons for focusing on the particular topic I’m immersed in these days and their responses were encouraging.

In being a ‘reflective practitioner’, I am, in fact, fulfilling the task to which God has called me. It feels good. Even my inner critic is satisfied.