{"id":2032,"date":"2021-04-24T07:07:20","date_gmt":"2021-04-24T12:07:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/?p=2032"},"modified":"2023-05-01T19:14:16","modified_gmt":"2023-05-02T00:14:16","slug":"rest-for-the-weary-on-cultivating-the-intellectual-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2021\/04\/24\/rest-for-the-weary-on-cultivating-the-intellectual-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Rest for the Weary: On Cultivating the Intellectual Life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As the pace of our modern world grows busier and busier, spurred on by the services of smartphones and laptops, people need somewhere to turn for relief. Our glowing rectangles promise us conveniences such as efficiency and a life of ease, but for what purpose? More efficiency, more ease. It\u2019s a never-ending cycle. Technology frees us up to consume…more technology.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to escape the technological addiction that has mystified the 21st century, it is not enough to take smartphones, laptops, and video streaming services away. They must be replaced with something better. Something deeper. Something more satisfying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In this blog, I will put forward one compelling alternative to digital saturation. It isn\u2019t the only alternative, nor is it a sufficient one. But it is necessary. Here I have in mind cultivating the intellectual life. By this I mean the world of story and imagination. Thoughts and ideas<\/a>. Concepts and principles. The life of the mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Road to Recovery<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sadly, like some prehistoric species, the intellectual life is all but extinct in some minds. I don\u2019t mean this in a condemning sense. It is merely a diagnosis. We have become so acquainted to consuming that the idea of cultivating the intellect sounds incredulous. At best, it sounds boring. Why think when one can switch to auto-pilot?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In theory, people are first taught to cultivate an intellectual life in school. Or are they? For most of us, school was a pragmatic transaction from day one. First-graders may be six, but they are not dull. Their social acumen is developed<\/a> enough to pick up on what matters in the classroom. The usual suspects include grades, prizes, and teacher-approval.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Imagine, however, if the first day of school was an orientation to cultivating the life of the mind. No talk of a syllabus, grade criteria, or course objectives<\/a>. Instead, the teacher begins by comparing one\u2019s mind to a garden. Gardens don\u2019t pop into existence weed-free and fruit-bearing. They must be tended, weeded, watered, and cultivated. As does the mind. The intentional teacher, dedicated to her craft<\/a>, inspires her students to cultivate an Eden in order to discover that the labor is its own reward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People coming from schools who implement traditionally modern methods to motivate learning may struggle to cultivate the intellectual life at first. \u201cWhat will I get out of it?\u201d, \u201cThis is boring\u201d, and \u201cI would rather do something else\u201d are all common reactions. But if one can move beyond these initial obstructions, there is hope for recovering interest in intellectual matters. It will take time and effort, but it is possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Importance of Self-Feeding<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once the intellectual life is conceived, it requires self-feeding for sustenance. This is the brilliant insight of educator Charlotte Mason<\/a>. She insisted that the life of the mind will die if it remains dependent upon the sustenance of others. This is because the mind is like an organism, a living thing that needs to take care of itself. A nascent organism that depends on other organisms will be parasitical at best and fizzle out at worst. It is up to each individual to cultivate the life of the mind through feeding it regularly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How does one feed the intellect?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This may sound surprising to some but reading, generally speaking, is not the precise answer. There are two reasons for this. First, not all books nourish the mind in the same way. Tech addiction is one major obstruction for cultivating the intellectual life and another is a diet of shallow books. Stories that are morally vacuous, sensationalistic, and stylistically weak fall into this category. These books won\u2019t nourish the intellect any more than a sugar-glazed donut will nourish the physical body (even if it tastes good).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Good books must be chosen for self-feeding and, subsequently, they must be chewed upon. This is the second reason that reading is not, generally speaking, a sufficient path to the self-nourished intellectual life. Our minds need to act upon that which has been read. They need to do something with the knowledge that has been encountered. How often do we read something, probably too quickly, and try to recall it later with no success? We never gave our minds time to assimilate, or digest, that which has been encountered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Charlotte Mason, narration<\/a> is the ideal way for students to assimilate knowledge. Give children the opportunity to narrate the text without looking back, after a single-reading, and the process for self-feeding begins. The mind comes alive as it processes in real-time what it ingested moments ago. The ideas of the text become part of the mind of the student.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making Time for Quiet<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To cultivate the intellectual life , one must first recover and nourish it. Then one must sustain it intentionally. 17th century polymath Blaise Pascal famously wrote, \u201cAll of man\u2019s problems stem from his inability to sit quietly in a room alone.\u201d Pascal\u2019s observation is more than relevant for us today as we inhabit this present age of distraction. Technology is one contributing factor for incessant distraction, as I have already suggested. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another factor is that most of us live in suburbs or cities. We are surrounded by people, pets, activities, stores, restaurants, and things to do. It is very difficult to find a place that is quiet and unoccupied. Professionally speaking, our work may not be physically laborious, but it mentally exhausting. And more often than not, our personal lives provide no respite. We are constantly on the go, bumping into people and things like electrons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The solution to such mental crowdedness in order to sustain the mind is to carve out space for solitude. To be sure, minds can be nourished in social settings. Engaging thought-provoking questions, spirited debate, and penetrating discussion are all worthwhile intellectual activities. But the mind also needs time alone with no immediate distractions. It needs time to slow down, process, and reflect. It needs time to be alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, this is easier said than done. Most of us begin feeling antsy after sitting still with no distraction for more than a few minutes. Our minds grow nervous, eager for something new to seize our attention. In reality, however, what the mind needs, even if it doesn\u2019t realize it, is space to think. Perhaps surprisingly, making time for the mind to work brings unexpected rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Benefit of Such a Life<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Despite what has been written thus far, some readers may continue to struggle to see the value of the intellectual life. \u201cWhat benefits will it bring?\u201d they will wonder. \u201cHow will this support my personal advancement?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Questions like these miss the mark. To be sure, there is productive value in the intellectual life. I have already alluded to some examples. The nourished intellect, on average, will be more resilient than one that has been depleted. It will be more efficient in work settings. It will more effectively grapple with everyday problems.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

But here lies the paradox. The real benefit of the intellectual life is the joy of learning<\/a>. One in pursuit of a nourished intellect for the sake of external benefits will eventually fizzle out. The work will grow too difficult and the benefits will no longer be perceived as worth it. Joy must accompany the process for the intellectual life to remain viable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The good news, though, is that there is grace. As humans, we often begin our pursuit of good things for wrong, or imperfect, reasons. But amidst these mixed motivations, God can use these moments to transform us. He graciously conforms us to His image, revealing to us the goodness of Himself and the eternal reward of life with Him.\u00a0When it comes to cultivating the life of the mind, we pray for God to reveal truth to us through the Holy Spirit and shape our affections to desire it and Him more and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As the apostle Paul writes in his closing remarks to the Philippians:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFinally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me\u2014practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you (Phil. 4: 8-9 ESV<\/em>).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Amidst the busyness we all face in the modern world, may we make time for the intellectual life, reflecting on what is true, honorable, lovely, and just. Ultimately, as we engage in such reflection, may our minds turn to Him who is the manifestation of all these, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word who became flesh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recommended Reading:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mind to Mind: An Essay Towards a Philosophy of Education<\/a> by Charlotte Mason and Karen Glass<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christianity for Modern Pagans: Pascal’s Pense’es<\/a> by Blaise Pascal and Peter Kreeft<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digital Minimalism<\/a> by Cal Newport<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celebration of Discipline<\/a> by Richard Foster<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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Atchison","author_link":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/author\/kolbyatchison\/"},"uagb_comment_info":1,"uagb_excerpt":"As the pace of our modern world grows busier and busier, spurred on by the services of smartphones and laptops, people need somewhere to turn for relief. Our glowing rectangles promise us conveniences such as efficiency and a life of ease, but for what purpose? More efficiency, more ease. It\u2019s a never-ending cycle. Technology frees…","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa7K1D-wM","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4490,"url":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2025\/01\/04\/slow-productivity-in-school-part-1-the-problem-of-pseudo-productivity\/","url_meta":{"origin":2032,"position":0},"title":"Slow Productivity in School, Part 1: The Problem of Pseudo-Productivity","author":"Jason Barney","date":"January 4, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Classical educators can often be found touting the Latin phrase multum, non multa, in favor of various revolutionary proposals to adopt quality over quantity, depth over breadth, much over many things. (See for instance this article on Memoria Press by Andrew Campbell, or Christopher Perron\u2019s lecture on Classical Academic Press.)\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Modern Research"","block_context":{"text":"Modern Research","link":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/category\/modern-research\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slow-Productivity-Email-Banner.jpg?fit=600%2C200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slow-Productivity-Email-Banner.jpg?fit=600%2C200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Slow-Productivity-Email-Banner.jpg?fit=600%2C200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2159,"url":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2021\/07\/03\/cultivating-the-discipline-of-study\/","url_meta":{"origin":2032,"position":1},"title":"Cultivating the Discipline of Study","author":"Kolby Atchison","date":"July 3, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Our world is restless, this much is clear. As I have observed in previous blogs, the speed of the modern world is only accelerating as new technologies allow people to access whatever they seek at unprecedented rates. Surfing the web, in particular, has never been easier, and with it, the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Educational Leadership"","block_context":{"text":"Educational Leadership","link":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/category\/educational-leadership\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/reading-book.jpeg?fit=1000%2C665&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/reading-book.jpeg?fit=1000%2C665&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/reading-book.jpeg?fit=1000%2C665&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/reading-book.jpeg?fit=1000%2C665&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3615,"url":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2023\/03\/25\/low-tech-schooling-avoiding-the-shallows-in-a-high-tech-society\/","url_meta":{"origin":2032,"position":2},"title":"Low-tech Schooling: Avoiding the Shallows in a High-tech Society","author":"Patrick Egan","date":"March 25, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Think back only a short while ago to how the transformation of schooling occurred rapidly in response to Covid-19. Materials were sent home and school was provided digitally through internet video services such as Zoom, Skype and Teams. Technology, and particularly screen-based learning, became ubiquitous. While we have since seen\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Modern Research"","block_context":{"text":"Modern Research","link":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/category\/modern-research\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/pexels-jeremy-bishop-2397651-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/pexels-jeremy-bishop-2397651-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/pexels-jeremy-bishop-2397651-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/pexels-jeremy-bishop-2397651-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/pexels-jeremy-bishop-2397651-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1966,"url":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2021\/03\/27\/what-blooms-left-out-a-comparison-with-aristotles-intellectual-virtues\/","url_meta":{"origin":2032,"position":3},"title":"What Bloom’s Left Out: A Comparison with Aristotle’s Intellectual Virtues","author":"Jason Barney","date":"March 27, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"In the last three articles in this series, I laid out the good, the bad and the ugly of Bloom\u2019s Taxonomy. After the last two posts it is perhaps worth reaffirming the value of Bloom\u2019s project. While I ultimately believe that Bloom and his colleagues may have done more harm\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Classical Tradition"","block_context":{"text":"Classical Tradition","link":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/category\/classical-tradition\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Untitled-design-2.png?fit=1200%2C783&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Untitled-design-2.png?fit=1200%2C783&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Untitled-design-2.png?fit=1200%2C783&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Untitled-design-2.png?fit=1200%2C783&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Untitled-design-2.png?fit=1200%2C783&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2027,"url":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2021\/04\/17\/aristotles-virtue-theory-and-a-christian-purpose-of-education\/","url_meta":{"origin":2032,"position":4},"title":"Aristotle’s Virtue Theory and a Christian Purpose of Education","author":"Jason Barney","date":"April 17, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Up till now in this series I have evaluated Bloom\u2019s taxonomy and mostly used Aristotle\u2019s intellectual virtues as a foil in my critique. And so while I have, to a certain extent, defined and described Aristotle\u2019s five intellectual virtues, alongside offering an outline snapshot of a classical Christian educational paradigm\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Biblical worldview"","block_context":{"text":"Biblical worldview","link":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/category\/biblical-worldview\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Aristotle close-up as famously portrayed by Raphael with arm stretched forward indicating his engagement in the human world of moral excellence, virtue and habits","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/raphael_detail-aristotle-from-the-school-of-athens.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/raphael_detail-aristotle-from-the-school-of-athens.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/raphael_detail-aristotle-from-the-school-of-athens.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/raphael_detail-aristotle-from-the-school-of-athens.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/raphael_detail-aristotle-from-the-school-of-athens.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2080,"url":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/2021\/05\/29\/moral-virtue-and-the-intellectual-virtue-of-artistry-or-craftsmanship\/","url_meta":{"origin":2032,"position":5},"title":"Moral Virtue and the Intellectual Virtue of Artistry or Craftsmanship","author":"Jason Barney","date":"May 29, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"It might seem strange after the paradigm delineated above to focus our attention back on intellectual virtues alone, just after arguing for the holistic Christian purpose of education: the cultivation of moral, intellectual and spiritual virtues. But it is impossible to do everything in a single series or book. The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Classical Tradition"","block_context":{"text":"Classical Tradition","link":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/category\/classical-tradition\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Untitled-design-5-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Untitled-design-5-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Untitled-design-5-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Untitled-design-5-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Untitled-design-5-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2032","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2032"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2032\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2039,"href":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2032\/revisions\/2039"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2033"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2032"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2032"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/educationalrenaissance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2032"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}