FREE ESSAY ON MORRIE'S APHORISMS

MORRIE'S APHORISMS

Using Morrie's Aphorisms as Teaching Tools
No bubble is so iridescent or floats longer than that blown by the successful teacher.
Sir William Osler (1849-1919), 4 Oct. 1911, Glasgow (quoted in: Harvey Cushing, Life of
Sir William Osler, vol. 2, ch. 31, 1925).
Mitch Albom wrote Tuesday's with Morrie as a final tribute to his old college professor,
Morrie Schwartz, who intended that his death should be his final thesis. Grim and
fascinating, Professor Schwartz's courage in the face of a painful death is truly
inspiring. The lucidity and wisdom which Professor Schwartz gained over the years became
increasingly pronounced and focused as he contemplated his life and imminent death, as
well as his place in the Cosmos while his frail body melted away through A.L.S. (Lou
Gehrig's disease). This paper will discuss five of Professor Schwartz aphorisms (or
proverbs), which would facilitate learning in subject- specific -and other educational
venues.
The Meaning of Life
"So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when
they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the
wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is devote yourself to loving others,
devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something
that gives you purpose and meaning." (emphasis added) (p. 43)
Professor Schwartz's analysis of the meaning of life is particularly appropriate for
teaching philosophical views and sociological concepts. Since time immemorial, man has
contemplated why he is on the Earth and what his place is in the 'Greater Scheme of
Things'. While students rush through the educational process in a pinball-like attempt to
learn what they need to thrive and survive, they frequently overlook those aspects of
their education, which are the most important. When people become self-actualized, as
Professor Schwartz did, they are better able to view humanity from a broader angle. This
better view of mankind involves a commitment to others and to the community in which one
lives, but it is more elemental than that. Material possessions, according to the
professor, mean little when you are lying on your deathbed. What is truly important is
that an individual's life is given meaning and purpose by the degree to which that
individual has served and loved others. 
Admittedly, Professor Schwartz had the wisdom of years and the insight provided by
decades of philosophical research; however, the quest for the meaning of life is a
universal aspect of mankind and finding the right answer is like finding the Holy Grail
-- many have looked but few have seen. Therefore, Professor Schwartz's thought process
concerning devoting oneself to loving others and their community is particularly
appropriate in a philosophical and sociological learning environment. A better learning
experience could be gained by a requirement that all college students perform a certain
number of hours of service to the community: painting and repairing low-income housing,
or volunteering at nursing homes or veteran centers, for example. This giving back to the
community would reinforce Professor Schwartz's view that we are all part of the human
family and we gain meaning in our lives through service to others.
An activity using this aphorism in the classroom was completed by my sixth grade
Literature class at Greenwich Catholic School. The grade decided to express the 'true
meaning' of Christmas by bypassing the holiday gift giving and donating their gifts to a
local charity of the children's choice. Then, each child wrote an essay on the 'true
meaning' of Christmas and related their experience to the activity performed. This truly
put Morrie's proverb to work. 
Faith and Trust 
"You see," he says to the girl, "you closed your eyes. That was the difference. Sometimes
you cannot believe what you see; you have to believe what you feel. And if you are ever
going to have other people trust you, you must feel that you can trust them, too -- even
when you're in the dark. Even when you're falling." (p. 61)
There is an old saying concerning trust and faith: Fake it till you make it. This means
that trust and faith can be learned. Trusting others is more difficult for some people
than others. Trust, then, is the basis for all human endeavors, which involve others,
since we must accept on faith that people will act in certain ways in order to live our
daily lives. For example, in a learning environment, trust is the basis for the effective
transmission of knowledge from teacher to student. Moreover, it is the essence of living
in a civilized society, for, if we cannot trust the driver approaching us in the other
lane to not swerve and hit us head-on. If we do not trust the police to uphold the law,
there is anarchy; if we do not trust our spouses to be faithful, there is infidelity; if
we do not trust our teachers when they teach, there is ignorance. 
Therefore, the application of this aphorism would be appropriate in practically any
classroom setting, but particularly appropriate in a philosophical environment in which
universal truths are discussed. More specifically, encouraging students to trust each
other (which does not, of course, mean to naively accept everything people tell you) will
enhance their ability to learn and to interact with their peers, their family members and
society in general. 
An activity that could enforce this trust would involve partners. One person would stand
directly behind the other and support their partner's weight. Then, they would let their
partner fall backward with the promise they will catch their partner before he/she hits
the floor. This would provide a difficulty for the partners and would reinforce the fact
that it is imperative to trust others in all situations.
Learn How To Die So You Can Learn How To Live
"The truth is Mitch," he says, "once you learn how to die, you learn how to live."
(Emphasis added) (p. 82).
A scene in Remarche's All Quiet on the Western Front described a grizzled old sergeant
advising his men that they might as well consider themselves as already dead. This
motivated the troop to find the courage required to continue to fight. While Professor
Schwartz was not saying to consider oneself already dead, he was saying that by accepting
the nature of life and its ultimate conclusion, you are then able to make the most of
life. Dreams, which may well go unrealized, are achieved when you realize that life is
short and ultimately precious. If you let society dictate your dreams, those are the
dreams you will die with. From a motivational standpoint in a learning environment, this
aphorism is exceptional since it will encourage students to move beyond the institutional
structures, which press heavily on civilized societies. 
From an educational standpoint, learning how to die so you can learn how to live would be
applicable in classroom discussions. For example, let's examine the problems associated
with aging and coping with loss. When people are able to accept their own mortality, they
are then able to make the most of their lives by realizing their ambitions, trying new
things and taking chances they would not have otherwise. In a classroom setting, taking
chances and trying new things are what it is all about: rote learning will not provide an
individual with the insight needed to achieve all that may be possible.
An example of an activity that could be used in the classroom is a creative writing
project. You tell the students to go home and get a list of things from an adult
(preferably a parent) that did not exist thirty years ago. Then, the students can make a
list of things that they use all the time. The students can group ideas from each list
and write an essay on the similarities of their parents and themselves. This activity can
point out the changing of time and the mortality of life. Additionally, it will improve
the student's writing skills through drawing inferences and making conclusions. 
Cultural Values
"Here's what I mean by building your own little subculture," Morrie said. "I don't mean
you disregard every role of your community. I don't go around naked, for example. I don't
run through red lights. The little things, I can obey. But the big things -- how we
think, what we value - those you must choose yourself. You can't let anyone -- or any
society -- determine those for you." (p. 155)
Values clearly are the guiding principles of life and teachers are in a position to teach
them; however, values are accumulated over a lifetime through parental guidance, other
family members, and pressure from peers, religious leaders and educators. Furthermore, it
is possible for teachers to encourage students to question the validity of the status quo
-- to push the limits -- to achieve the unachievable -- by recognizing that what other
people believe to be important may not be appropriate or even relevant. Teaching students
to create a culture of their own, encourages individual values and thought and will
provide them with the ability to think about things differently and to live their lives
based on a solid foundation of personal integrity. 
Professor Schwartz insight in this regard would be well suited for educational settings,
which require an analysis of an individual's place in society and the values associated
with various religions. This aphorism can be used in many venues such as History,
Philosophy, Sociology and Literature.
An activity done by an eighth grade class at my school reinforced Morrie's aphorism well.
The class studied many different cultures and created list of each culture's attributes.
Next, the students took what they most admired about each culture and created a list of
their own. Then, they organized that list into their own personal culture they could live
by. Each student created a poster board of their culture's values and attributes. These
students also did an oral presentation describing their new culture to the class. 
We're All Part of the Human Family 
" I heard a nice little story the other day," Morrie says. "He closes his eyes for a
moment and I wait. Okay. The story is about a little wave, bobbing along in the ocean,
having a grand old time. He's enjoying the wind and the fresh air -- until he notices the
other waves in front of him, crashing against the shore. My God, this is terrible, the
wave says. Look what's going to happen to me! Then along comes another wave. It sees the
first wave, looking grim, and it says to him, why do you look so sad? The first wave
says, You don't understand! We're all going to crash! All of us waves are going to be
nothing! Isn't it terrible? The second wave says, No, you don't understand. You're not a
wave, you're part of the ocean." (Emphasis added) 
This Morrie-ism is perhaps the most important lesson contained in Tuesday's With Morrie.
The concept of being part of the ocean reflects Professor Schwartz view of accepting our
mortality so we can live more fully. It is actually more fundamental than that -- it
means that we accept the fact that although we must die physically, in a spiritual sense,
we continue to exist in the hearts and minds of those we knew and loved. 
This concept would be an effective adjunct to a course on Maslow's hierarchy of needs. As
people gain experience and wisdom, recognition that we are all part of a continuous
circle of life is achieved and an appreciation for the part we all play in the Cosmos is
attained. At the high school level, this aphorism would be effective for Creative
Writing, History and the Sciences.
An activity effectively using this aphorism could be describing to the students the
effect of the food chain. As the students build the chain, the teacher can point out the
need for all creation, especially the lower species, in order for more developed species
to exist. Another effective activity can be the creation of a 'family tree'. The student
can see the importance of all who exist on a personal level. 
The aphorisms of Professor Schwartz could be applied to numerous learning environments in
which values and humanity are discussed. The insights contained in Tuesdays With Morrie
took the professor a lifetime to develop and by communicating them to us, he truly
achieved his self-written epitaph of Teacher to the End. One last Morrie-ism which might
be extrapolated from the many he provides is Knowledge can be learned but wisdom must be
earned. Professor Schwartz certainly earned his knowledge and wisdom. By devoting his
remaining days on Earth to imparting this knowledge to us, he walked the walk instead of
just talking the talk. 
Works Cited
The Columbia Dictionary of Quotations is licensed from Columbia University Press.
Copyright 1993, 1995 by Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
Tuesday's With Morrie is published by Doubleday Books. Copyright 1997 by Mitch Albom.