Thoughts on studying and life

(This post is reprinted from my original blog on Myspace.com)


How did I do so well in school, people often ask? I must be such a nerd, nose in the books all the time. Well, I can't disagree with that. But, I actually studied a lot less than most of my peers and did very well. How? Very simple: for subjects like the maths and sciences, memorizing facts and formulas is usually a waste of time. It may seem like the easiest way to go, but it isn't. The way to go is to understand concepts, where the formulas were derived, not the general how of phenomena, but the why. Because, if you understand the logic behind your subject, you will always excel as you will have a basic method of understanding from which to make your assumptions and conclusions.

On to life. It's a bit trickier. Let's narrow it down to health. Still tricky, but workable. My 'test' question is: how do I care for my health? Here is what western medicine tells me: eat a balanced diet (fruits, veggies, meats, grains, depends on the source), watch my cholesterol, exercise 30min 3x per week, socialize, get 7-9 hours of sleep, take a multivitamin, take a pill, etc, etc. In other words, it gives me facts upon facts to memorize and carry out in my life. To confuse matters, the 'newest' developments often displace previous advice, different sources can give opposite recommendations, and credibility of sources is often an issue, considering the high stakes involved in the promotion of pharmaceutical and agricultural goods.
Someone like me, who hates to memorize but loves to try and understand, is left groundless. I begin to realize that there is no underlying basis from which to work from to understand what is best for my health. And unlike a test handed out to an entire classroom, my life is too unique to apply a generic set of facts to.

Here is where our medicine miserably fails and where we can learn a lot from traditional medicines like Chinese Medicine. In Chinese Medicine, the basic premises of yin / yang and the five elements, once understood, can be applied to any lifestyle situation, be it nutritional, emotional, physical, or all of the above. Of-course, there are facts to memorize with regard to specific treatments and imbalances. But, most importantly, there is an underlying theory from which the facts and ideas spring from. I have applied this theory in my own life and have found, for the first time in my life, a firm philosophical ground upon which to walk and base my decisions. Of-course I will always continue my study of this philosophy, as my understanding of it will never be complete. But, I have enough of a working knowledge to make wiser decisions than I have previously. And yes, my health is the best it has ever been. Small coincidence, no?
So, my advice for those of you who are struggling with your health, approach this topic as you would a quandary upon which to build a philosophical foundation. If you find a system that provides you only with 'branches' of knowledge for generic symptoms but no 'root' upon which to make your own decisions, it is a groundless and dangerous system. If you find a system that provides you with foundational roots as well as branches, go to it, as you will go far. Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, several religious philosophies, Egoscue, energy medicine - there are many systems to explore, with several intriguing overlapping philosophies. Go out, find your system. Because when you do, you will know, as the tests you will be presented with will suddenly become do-able, no matter what the subject may be.