As a man sincerely dedicated to the liberal arts and all of the intellectual bounties such an approach entails, I wish to continue my journey of learning and exploration far, far into the future. While to some this may seem to be a bit of an exercise in futility, as one only needs a finite set of skills to make money in this world, I see the acquisition of skills and knowledge as the very meaning of life itself.
Perhaps the text that has most impressed this world-view into my mind has been How We Think by John Dewey, as in this work (among many other fecund points) he expounds a framework of intellectual engagement that emphasizes understanding as a product of the connections between concepts in one’s mind. While the conceptual connections themselves are the product of one’s own capacity of reasoning and disposition, the continuous introduction of new concepts into the mind provides fertile ground for constant growth of the mind. In addition, in many forms of study, the connections themselves are made explicit, so the very skill of reasoning and the various forms of understanding can be honed evermore.
But to what end? What is the purpose of having such a lucid understanding of the various things? To this, I simply reply, it increases one’s ability to engage in the act of creation. While some many be satisfied with the mundanity of simply fulfilling a finite function in some greater hierarchy, the ability to create original ideas, objects and paradigms captures a greater human aspiration: the ability to make an impact. In the context of academics, this entails the creation of new concepts with which others can advance the knowledge of humankind further and further into perpetuity, allow others to create better and more advanced things and facilitate a greater appreciation of the beauty and complexity of the world all around us (and even the world inside of us).
While my primary interest is in military science (I like that which is loud, powerful and energetic, perhaps reflecting some of my philosophical relationships with technology), I do truly have an appreciation for all forms of knowledge. Although the connections between, say, avant-garde literature and quantum vacuum fluctuations may be dubious at best, they both enrich the experience of the mind in a similar fashion. Perhaps even knowledge just illuminates various points of interest along the path from birth to death. Either way, it is quite the paradigm for making life worth living at all.
As to how this affects my career, I wish to explore all of my interests to their full extent. Although, at this point, I have been assigned to work at NWSC – Indian Head, I wish to gain a broader appreciation of military technology by working at different labs throughout my education and into my career in the future. The challenge, however, will be finding a way to continue my educative goals (including a masters and doctorate [in different disciplines]) that will be financially wise. I suspect that I may not be able to officially recognize all of my interests via the channels of higher education, but perpetual independent study will do these inglings more than enough justice.