Study as an activity, in whatever form, brings us joy and enhances our thinking, speaking and writing ability, adding charm to our personality. Study is always a private activity, which people engage in when they are alone or in the privacy of their homes. It helps them in relaxation after a strenuous routine, when the body and mind need to slow down. It sharpens our intellect, helping us to judge things soundly. It helps us to go about our life’s business in a more capable way.
It enables the learned men, who have studied extensively, to critically examine issues, and arrive at the right conclusion. They can garner data, facts and arguments to or against a particular view rationally. Such intelligent analysis of facts improves the soundness and quality of their judgment. However, over-indulgence in studies leads to undesirable consequences. Setting aside long hours in a day to study will make a man lazy. Overuse of the wisdom to analyze ordinary, commonplace issues may make the man appear pretentious and vainglorious. Sticking too much to rules to assess situations and decide on action may invite derision from others.
Studying adds discretion and perfection to human nature. Experiences in life supplements such honing of nature. A person’s abilities inherited by birth are raw. Only when they are carefully worked upon and honed, the in-born abilities yield the best benefits to us. Studying is the whetstone that we use to sharpen our abilities. But inferences from the study may lead to imprecise and misleading conclusions. In such situations, one’s experience in life comes in handy to arrive at the right conclusion. So, experience is very valuable as it supplements studies.
People who are cunning and deceitful have no appreciation for studies, as they accomplish their objectives through many crooked ways. Simple folks, however, greatly value the role of studies in human life. Wise people inherently draw upon the ideas obtained from their studies while solving life’s countless problems. The aim of reading and acquiring knowledge must not be to aggressively refute other’s views or accept the writer’s views as gospel truth. It should also not be to engage in pointless discussion and argumentation. Studying should enable us to weigh facts and analyze them rationally.
Books of varying content and genre are to be made use of differently. Some may be given a cursory reading, some others can be quickly sifted through. Other important books are to be read slowly and minutely to truly fathom the meaning and underlying sense. One can ask an assistant to read a book and prepare a short summary of it. But such practice should be followed for obtaining guidance on matters of lesser importance. There are some books which are, in fact, shortened already.
Discussing with others about the contents of a book imparts special practical skills to the reader. Writing removes all the residual weaknesses and ignorance from the person and enables him to remember the contents of a book. So, writing helps to memorize facts. If a person is bashful so as not to discuss his reading with others, he will not be able to improve his wit. If he does not read, he will remain a somewhat stupid person. Studying history makes a man wiser; studying poetry makes a man wittier: mathematics gives sound logical sense, and philosophy imparts valuable lessons on morality.
Wit is a God-given gift. It is present in everybody. However, it can be sharpened by selective studying. This is akin to the way certain weaknesses of the human body are cured by appropriate physical exercises. Bowling is good for the stone and reins; shooting for the lungs and breast; gentle walking for the stomach; riding for the head; and the like. They cure many ailments.
If a person is unable to concentrate, he will do well to study mathematics to focus his wavering mind. In mathematics, a slight loss of concentration leads to grave error. This makes the man to start all over again to do it. Thus, studying mathematics restrains the mind from darting off elsewhere. If a person does not have the ability to discern, he will be benefited by studying School men as it trains mental ability and develops the art of expression. If a person is unable to garner facts and manipulate them to put across his views convincingly, studying law will help him. Thus, every deficiency of mind can be addressed by appropriate reading.
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