by Nancy Linenkugel
Contributor
Don’t you think it must have been an unusually wise person who said, “Learn something new every day?” Doesn’t that sounds like one of those good advice adages coming from the pen of Benjamin Franklin or another sage thinker and philosopher?
The word “sophos,” the root word of philosopher, means the bearer of wisdom in Greek. Philosophers like Plato and Aristotle come to mind along with Roman philosophers Cicero and Plutarch.
To learn new things each day glorifies our gift of intellect. One fun source for new things is Zidbits.com. This website features tidbits of knowledge not so much for serious research and learning but more for simply enrichment. For example, a few Zidbits topics include: does hot water freeze faster than cold water, does it really take more muscles to frown than to smile, or do trees die from old age?
I’m a believer that we should use each day to our best advantage, strive to learn something new, and don’t end the day until we’ve accomplished that. My goal is to learn it by 7:30 a.m. so I can then go back to bed.
[Sr. Nancy Linenkugel is a Sylvania Franciscan sister and chair of the department of Health Services Administration at Xavier University, Cincinnati Ohio.]