Free Your Mind, and the Rest Will Follow

2 min. read

A lesser-known ancient Greek thinker and orator, Isocrates, posited that our natures are compounded of two parts, “the physical and the mental, and no one would deny that of these two the mind comes first and is of greater worth.”

I tend to resist strict dualism in terms of the mind-body relationship. But for now, let’s go with the notion that there is a separate life of the mind.

The Life of the Mind

The life of the mind is both the object and vehicle of our growth as human beings.

It is the object because the journey of becoming more human trains the mind and matures it from its current state to what it will be. The process of moving the intellect, the mind from what it is to what it ought to be is the beauty of embracing that what we are is not yet what we will be.

The life of the mind is the vehicle because it is in contemplation of who we were, who we are, and who we might be that the mind is developed.

Humility

Humility is always the first, and hardest step, if we want to become more who we could be. We are only able to grow when we recognize that others have come before us who might know some things we don’t. This is a paradoxical step, because it is a freedom we are granted: the freedom to discipline our minds.

And just how do we develop the life of the mind?

Read. Read lots. Read deeply. Re-read what you’ve previously read. Contemplate the liberal arts in all its forms. Expose your mind to uncomfortable or strange philosophies. Engage with wisdom traditions other than your own. Engage with your own wisdom tradition in more profound ways.

So What?

So if we are to embrace the freedom to discipline our minds, to grow as human beings, what is the point?

It is not a utilitarian end. To engage in the life of the mind is not about college acceptance, nor job security, nor civic usefulness. Rather, the life of the mind is a preparatory activity for all of life. It is about process, not destination.

Humbly freeing your mind so that you may discipline it by growing the life of the mind is a life-long adventure. This adventure is right in line with history’s greatest schools of thought.

Do this, and pursue truth; no matter how scary it may be.