Yoda Me!
Before there was formal education there was the method of “See one, Do one, Teach one” of guilds and apprenticeship. The method of mentoring works when there are motivated students and dedicated mentors. The teacher to student ratio is small and provides for an ongoing opportunity for feedback and correction and instead of a focus on testing. The focus is on the student/master relationship in which there is the revealing of discovery, supervision for competency and the referring to the next level in pursing mastery. Most formal educational testing is a poor substitute. In that testing, aims for a minimal or passing level of proficiency. Whereas ongoing mentoring aims at a demonstrated level of mastery. Of course, at the institutional level of education involves a higher ratio of students to teacher. And the emphasis is on knowledge versus the focus on the craft and skills of practical and pragmatic application. However, the “see one”, “do one” and “teach one.” in the traditional education exists at two points. First is in early childhood development and elementary education, which is the “show and tell” of kindergarten. The second is the point of an being a “journeyman (crafts and trades), resident or post-doc” for graduate degrees under the watchful eye of an accomplished master, mentor or tenured professor; focusing on a specialty.
There are opportunities for high level education, but it takes an individual determined to search for and participate in these opportunities. Conceptually there are five levels of participation; a fan, hobbyist, amateur, professional and master. Beginning at the hobbyist and amateur levels begins with interest and some effort about learning the basics. Perhaps the internet presents the “golden age” of the Socratic method of education “… a form of cooperative argumentative dialogue between individuals, based on asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and to draw out ideas and underlying presuppositions. ” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socratic_method. The internet provides us the opportunity to transcend time, space and dimensions with the ability to dialogue. Forums, substack, YT, FB, etc. are portals or rabbit holes in which to recognize, search, participate and educate one’s self and others. All that is needed is the desire to discover, a portal device of a smart phone, laptop or the like and a bit of time.
It is important to have some self-awareness, discernment and sovereignty. Specifically to ask yourself: Who are you, for whom, why are you searching, for what and the when, where and how are you going to do it? Recognizing that searching, learning and mastery is not an event but a process within the context of “for whom and why?” The beginning starts at the existential level in the quest for meaning and purpose or the “Acorn Theory.” It is the “who am I, what is my passion and what do to about it?” The milestone or rites of passage into adulthood is often observed as traveling by oneself, walkabout, gap-year, vision quest, pilgrimage where one takes on the adventure or challenge to begin the process of becoming, doing and eventually mastering one’s self.
Basically, a dedicated student via a demonstration of their abilities is allowed into the inner circle to observe a procedure or operation, then gets to do that procedure, and at some point, gets to show the procedure to a rookie. Of course, the dream is after years of experience, is to become and be the master. The fourth part of see, do and teach one, is the unknown, unspoken and rarely seen except by invitation to the student that has demonstrated superior motivation, skill and commitment. The common sense is that a lower-level student would not understand nor recognize the value of what is being shown by the master. Occasionally there is a show or ceremony to inspire and acknowledge a level of a student’s accomplishment, which in turns might inspire others. Yet, gaining close or frequent access to mentoring with a master is inaccessible to most folks. In likelihood, this is because of other professional demands, time, energy and age. Not everybody gets to hang with Yoda.
The “see one,” is an initiation; a waking up or germination of the seed. The “do one” is the growing. The “teach one” is the learning the subtle or rarely known secrets. And the “be one” is the completion and beginning. It is simply a pattern, cycle, fractal, algorithm, hologram, etc.
If you want to see this motif presented in a funny manner, watch the movie “The School of Rock” (2003) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_of_Rock
The revelation of Yoda, is not being Yoda, but becoming and being your own Yoda… master of your Self.
Blessings
Tim
4/2/2023