This is a wonderful story of the wisdom we can learn if we take the time to listen. Our personal experiences transform our way of seeing the world. So does the “call of story”—the poems, stories, and proverbial sayings we hear or read throughout our lifetimes. Indeed, most of us can cite a proverb, the message of a book, or even a ritual we’ve experienced that changed our world-view. Stories are powerful mechanisms that call us to reflect on the human condition. Culture to culture, proverbs (often called wisdom literature) bare an uncanny resemblance to one another. Most proverbs reflect the lessons learned by those who lived long before us. T. A. Perry describes them as follows: Like bottles sculpted in bygone eras and cast upon the seas, proverbs survive the damages of time and carry messages of hidden treasure. . . . Strange enough, we long to drink from these time-capsules, as if their antiquated shapes and colors could magically transform our sour experiences into the sweet liqueur of wisdom. (Perry, 1993, p. xi) Throughout time, many cultures have contributed to the existing literature—with prescriptions for life and change—in the form of parables, fables, proverbs, anecdotes and short stories that “epitomize principles of correct living, embody moral pronouncements, and contain crucial information about their society” (Holliday & Chandler, 1986, p. 11). These oral and literary rhetorical “vehicles” can challenge our assumptions, cause us to reflect on our behaviors, transform our thinking, and, perhaps, help us become wiser as we come to more fully understand the human condition. They serve as powerful learning vehicles for personal growth and increased understanding—i.e., transformative learning. These “triggers” encourage personal reflection. Throughout a person’s life, the goal is to gradually increase in understanding and wisdom and to eventually reach his or her maximum potential. Not many of us arrive at this point.
Posted on: Thu, 10 Oct 2013 12:02:29 +0000
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