/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.15010306]

Feeling a bit down, /lit/. I graduated with first class honours in a science subject, but since then (and really before graduation) I began to feel like this isn't my primary interest now. I've always loved art and literature and most of my reading revolves around this. Maybe it's naive or childish to say, but I feels like everything I learn about art and history isn't valid or I'm not validated as someone with knowledge because I don't have a degree in it. I feel like I've went down the wrong path. My question, is whether or not one can read just out of interest but, more importantly, is one's knowledge base valid even without a formal qualification?

To give you an idea, I just read a large book on medieval manuscripts and script development. I was happy with what I learned, but then I thought of the people studying this subject. I'm just some guy to them. Maybe I put too much stock in academic institution and I shouldn't care. Of course I know that a lot of people read things just for interest, but I've always felt like I needed to somehow match up what I read with some grand academic idea.

[Anonymous No.15010322]

>>15010306
Small amendment:
And I suppose this goes for writing in general. I've written all my life, but never attended a creative writing class or anything to do with the humanities in adult life.

[Anonymous No.15010345]

>>15010306
I suppose I can sympathize with this since I was/am in a pretty similar situation. I was unhappy with what I “learned” frankly, but I’m in a fortunate position now where I can go back to school if I want so I’m considering doing that. For what? I don’t really know. Regardless, I don’t think it really matters unless you’re particularly interested in a hyper specific area that can only be done inside the academy. If anything, the academy can be pretty stifling from what I’ve seen.

[Anonymous No.15010388]

>>15010345
Thanks. I appreciate the response. I think for me it's not even necessarily about achieving any academic accomplishment or getting a job in a particular field. I would, of course, like to be a historian or study medieval manuscripts, but that's just so far from what I have studied so far (ecology and conservation). Maybe I just have low self esteem. It's like I need to have a qualification in say history of art or classics in order to verify what I'm reading as otherwise I'm just a poser or some lame pleb that doesn't really understand the subject. I think deep down there's a sense that everything I'm reading is pointless because of this and so I get a bit depressed. For example, I sometimes tend to get autistic with information and will make maps and stuff to remind myself of key movements in history and all the obscure facts, but then it's literally just pointless outside of my own interest.

[Anonymous No.15010519]

>>15010388
I’m basically the same way. If I could do it again, I would never get my degree actually. It’s only because I already have that I feel like I have to “correct” it and for example, go to graduate school just because. In my case, my education and interests are absolute polar opposites and I have no interest in my education whatsoever. Are you interested in yours? Perhaps you could find some overlap in that and your interests?

[Anonymous No.15010533]

>>15010306
Start with the Greeks.

[Anonymous No.15010560]

>>15010306
Science is infinitely more valuable than any humanities knowledge. Not because you shouldn't study the arts, but they should at best be a supplement to science. Stick to that.

[Anonymous No.15010604]

>>15010560
Well, it's just that I don't plan to go further in my studies and I'm just looking for a job now. I can't help but feel more interested in ancient literature, architecture and history in general from a book buying perspective, so the point still stands. I mean, I suppose there's nothing intrinsically weird or negative about what I'm doing. Just because I might read about Pliny or someone else doesn't mean I NEED a damn classics degree... It's just my strange autistic mind.

[Anonymous No.15010632]

Consider yourself well-rounded. I studied literature through the Master’s level and I couldn’t tell you the anything about a natural science beyond 100-level examination of physics and anatomy, aside from a dilettante understanding of the history of science most broadly. I am a staunch defender of the humanities, but the fact is that an intelligent person has an easier time being trained in the sciences and studying the humanities on their own than the other way around. You don’t have access to labs and field experience in my position.

[Anonymous No.15010679]

>>15010632
So, about your first sentence. I could do that, yes, but for me it just feels close to imposter syndrome. That doesn't quite fit as a description or analogy, but it's the best I can be bothered to come up with. In some sense I am trying to learn things outside my sphere of knowledge (environmental science, field surveying, legislation, etc.), and I suppose that's good, but then on the other hand it's just a bunch of books. It's not the real thing. Anyone can read. That's the problem for me. It's like I need someone to say, "reading extensively is just as valid as going to university and starting over". I know that's probably not the case though. It's just annoying as I think I might actually know quite a lot about certain areas of history, even more than parts of my degree subject, but it doesn't really count for anything but a layman's interest. In the end, this doesn't really matter and it's first world problems territory.

[Anonymous No.15010703]

>>15010679
Then go to grad school for a humanities subject.

[Anonymous No.15010717]

>>15010703
Man, if I was capable of doing that I wouldn't have made this thread. There's multiple reasons I can't do that. Especially since this is 2020, the apocalypse year.

[Anonymous No.15010727]

>>15010703
I might also add that my point wasn't about going to university for a humanities subject. It was more about the validity of knowledge from books alone (detached from academic learning) and what people's thoughts are on this.

[Anonymous No.15010787]

>>15010306
>is one's knowledge base valid even without a formal qualification?
Your asking 4chan this? The institutions don't teach you shit fool they just want to reproduce the status quo.
You should care less about whether your learning is "valid by academic standards"- which is a pleb tier distinction in itself- and more about whether what you learn activates you to help other people, because if your "learning" hasn't made you start sacrificing yourself for others then you haven't learnt shit imo.
>>15010560
This is incorrect. The problem today is not that we lack the quantitative knowledge but the qualitative insight. We have everything we need from technology and more, what we lack is the moral education to distribute the advantages it produces. This has been the cases for thousands of years in fact.

Sounds to me like your a typical self concerned narcissist who cares what others think too much. Me too. Transcend yourself and mature into dedicating your powers to the improvement others. For this is the purpose of sentient life, imo.

[Anonymous No.15010808]

>>15010787
Good points. But I'm definitely not a narcissist or proud of myself. It's probably low self esteem if anything and the need for validation. Can you elaborate on what you mean by improving the lives of others through knowledge? I can understand this from the perspective of having a job and dong something productive for society, but in what capacity can reading a book about history help people?

[Anonymous No.15010819]

>>15010727
I’m trying to do this
>>15010703
with a second degree in classics. I actually responded to you above saying I am basically the same, OP. My honest belief so far is that you could achieve the same with rigorous self study. I’m only doing it because I want to go to graduate school and don’t want to continue my field.

[Anonymous No.15010908]

>>15010808
Its not that reading a book can help people, its that you should learn from the mistakes of the past so as to be able to help people now, so they don't have to make them again.

If your really want to know that your a good person when the reaper comes from you need to do nothing less than complete dedication to the improvement of others. This might be coming down from the ivory tower.

Look, I'm no fucking saint either. I'm just telling you what I wish someone had told me when I was younger.

[Anonymous No.15011584]

>>15010908
No this is midwit conditioned egregore bullshit, you cannot help others until you go beyond the person
Only divinely inspired action is quality action

[Anonymous No.15011638]

>>15011584
>2020
>divinely inspired

[Anonymous No.15011835]

>>15011638
>t. brainlet hylic no connection to higher force, no spiritual insight , never meditated
not gonna make it