This letter was written by Abraham Lincoln when his son was starting school.
“My son starts school today. It is all going to be strange and new to him for a while and I wish you would treat him gently. It is an adventure that might take him across continents. An adventure that probably includes wars, tragedy and sorrow. To live this life will require faith, love and courage.
So dear Teacher, will you please take him by his hand and teach him things he will have to know, teaching him - but gently, if you can. Teach him that for every enemy, there is a friend. He will have to know that all men are not just, that all men are not true. But teach him also that for every scoundrel there is a hero, that for every crooked politician, there is a dedicated leader.
Teach him if you can that 10 cents earned is of far more value than a dollar found. In school, teacher, it is far more honorable to fail than to cheat. Teach him to learn how to gracefully lose, and enjoy winning when he does win.
Teach him to be gentle with people, tough with tough people. Steer him away from envy if you can and teach him the secret of quiet laughter. Teach him if you can, how to laugh when he is sad. Teach him also there is no shame in tears. Teach him there can be glory in failure and despair in success. Teach him to scoff at cynics.
Teach him if you can the wonders of books, but also give time to ponder the extreme mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun and flowers on a green hill. Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if every one tells him they are wrong.
Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when everyone else is doing it. Teach him to listen to every one, but teach him also to filter all that he hears on a screen of truth and take only the good that comes through.
Teach him to sell his talents and brains to the highest bidder but never to put a price tag on his heart and soul. Let him have the courage to be impatient, let him have the patience to be brave. Teach him to have sublime faith in himself, because then he will always have sublime faith in mankind, in God.
This is the order, teacher, but see what best you can do. He is such a nice little boy and he is my son."
I have never read such a good post ever.
ReplyDeleteWHAT A AMAZING LETTER IT IS.
ReplyDeleteThis explains what education is all about. But do our educationists know any such thing about education? Alas, NO.
ReplyDeleteIn our country, education means cramming of information stored in books without application of mind whatsoever just like storing a lot of data files in a CD or DVD. Can a CD or DVD make use of the information stored in it? No. Because it is just stored there. It is not installed.
Abraham Lincoln wanted the teachers of his son not to cram the information into the child's mind but install some beautiful programs that would make his son worthy. It would be great if our parents and teachers learn a bit out of this letter.
Thank you for sharing, Ajay.
Sushant Singhal
www.thesaharanpur.com
Yes Sushant
ReplyDeleteOn diwali we organise a school competition in school about the bad effect of crackers. It was really depressing to meet the many teachers. it is really depressing that the future of india is in those hands
Thanks to share this post.
ReplyDeleteWant to appreciate & highlight the below lines
Teach him:
to be gentle with people,
tough with tough people,
that all men are not just, all men are not true,
for every scoundrel there is a hero
for every selfish Politician, there is a dedicated leader
for every enemy there is a friend,
how to laugh when he is sad,
there is no shame in tears,
to scoff at cynics
to live away from envy,
the secret of quiet laughter.
10 cents earned is of far more value than a dollar found.
it is far more honorable to fail than to cheat.
how to gracefully lose, and enjoy winning when he does win.
to beware of too much sweetness
to sell his talents and brains to the highest bidders, but never to put a price-tag on his heart and soul.
to have the courage to be impatient,
to have the patience to be brave.
to have sublime faith in himself, because then he will always have sublime faith in mankind, in God.
the wonders of books, but also to give time to ponder the extreme mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun and flowers on a green hill.
to have faith in his own ideas, even if every one tells him they are wrong.
the strength not to follow the crowd when everyone else is doing it.
to listen to every one, but also to filter all that he hears on a screen of truth and take only the good that comes through.