Practical Writers and Authors Are More Effective than Writers and Authors with Monastic Habits
Posted: Monday, April 25, 2011
by Chris Kanyane
Global Center For Research World Wide
As human beings we live by knowledge. Our progress and living effective lives is because of knowledge that is practical. And we admire and revere people who have risen in their ages to represent higher values and thereby organize those values into volumes of books for use to learn from them.
A wish has often been expressed, that writers who have contributed largely to the enriching of our human development through writing throughout our history could have been given more time by not undertaking in the drudges and grudges of daily activities, that these great writers whose works has played such a significant role in our lives throughout human history should have been left alone to pursue writing for its own sake, that is have more time to write more and more volumes for our benefit. This view assert that writers should be preserved and spared the endless avocations of daily activities and be allowed to devote themselves almost entirely to thought, and authorship. But the wisdom of this sentiment leaves a lot to be desired, it leaves one wondering of its value.
Practical acquaintance with daily life is necessary because naturally if you are left alone empty and devoid of the scars of daily life to only thinking and authorship most of the time you may find yourself apt to degenerate into habits of diseased speculation and sickly philosophizing and fastidiousness. Life is delicate and people’s lives are delicate. A writer writes about life and people’s lives and therefore it necessary follows that a writer should become part of daily life. It is just like the noted historian Eugen Weber commented about choosing history and history writing as a career. Eugen Weber became a historian because he was interested in politics. The main reason for his interest in politics was that: "I don't know what else other than politics. It was my vague dissatisfaction with social hierarchy, the subjection of servants and peasants, the diffuse of violence of everyday life in relatively peaceful country amongst apparently gentle folk".
Most certainly written works that have come from people of monastic and reclusive habits have done little for the world, compared with the writings of those who leave daily with people in a practical world and are ever ready to obey the voice which summoned them away from tranquil studies to breast the storms and guide the movements of great social conflicts. The writers, who have lived the most earnestly for their own age, trying to shape their own in a real practical ways have their works has always been utilized throughout history as moral guides and leaders of genuine character. These writers have enriched our history and our perspectives and they continue to do so through their writings even though their bodies have been buried and their souls good rest.
The definition of a writer or author as a person who is wise and lives a relatively quiet life need to be reviewed. Writers, authors and commentators who assumes the position often instead of instructing they pontificate, instead of advising they lambaste, instead of embracing people’s problems trying to get to understand them they add dry philosophy on the problems. And may we add the fact that many people have discovered books written in retirement, after one’s career have long finished to be dry and not assisting in our human progress and development compared to those books written in the heat of action and daily practical human activity.
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)You raise some interesting points. I think there is an almost romantic notion of the writer / recluse who hammers away at his or her masterpiece in seclusion, much the same as the 'tortured artist'. I would much rather be a practical writer with an effect on peoples' everyday lives, though.
Nice article, I do agree on some points, but of course disagree on others. So, in that respect it makes one think, so your point is made. Good job!
I enjoyed reading this. I know that I relate much more easily to authors who take the risk of experiencing life.
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