R. Is thy memory powerful enough to hold all things that thou thinkest out and bidst it to hold? A. Nay, nay; neither mine nor any man’s is so strong that it can hold everything that is committed to it. R. Then commit it to words and write it down.
-From Soliloquies by St. Augustine
Isaac Watts recommends a similar practice in his great book, Logic (this was the quote that inspired me to start this blog):
In order to preserve your treasure of ideas and the knowledge you have gained, pursue these advices, especially in your younger years: – 1. Recollect every day the things you have seen, or heard, or read…2. Talk over the things which you have seen, heard or learned, with some proper acquaintance…3. Commit to writing some of the most considerable improvements [i.e. applications] which you daily make, at least such hints as may well recall them again to your mind, when perhaps they are vanished and lost (1847 edition, pp. 72-73).
If you’re not writing down your thoughts, and the thoughts of others that you are studying, you are overestimating the power of your memory.
Would you recommend this book, “Logic” by Isaac Watts?
Is there anywhere online where I can read it for free?
I like the habit that is written down here! I see that its a realization of ones limitations in thinking and memorizing events that firmly delivers us to a writing life.
What are your writing habits? Do you write down yours thoughts that came from reading something like a story or is it pretty much a sum total of everything that goes on in everyday life?
I’m not fully understanding the third tip by Isaac Watts, whats the improvement that he is proposing for a person to recognize? Is it the improvement of the mind? The ability to remember the detail of the day at the end of the day?
I definitely agree with Augustine that no man/woman can have such a powerful memory to speak with ease of everything that has happened from boyhood/girlhood up with exact proportions.
I witness everyday, a person in my family (who is in his later years), that cannot for the life of him remember what day it is or be certain if it was a sandwich or a burrito he had for lunch. Whether this is just old age and we have to welcome this as a part of the system of natural life. I would conclude to say that this may be a influence but as I remember reading Mortimer j. Adler, his book “How to read a book”; he said that from the observation, an life of reading and writing allows the mind to enter the “retirement stage” with a firmer grasp of confidence that they have prepared for this stage in relation to the ability to think correctly. The stage of retirement, i mean is the part of life without work, without the life-giving fuel that enables one to go on with things “thoughtfully”. I would say that not everyone falls off the precipice of work realizing that all they knew how to do was be an electrician and play pool their entire life. Yes, a person has their grand children and wife to minister to after they excelled in their career. Mortimer J. Adler, goes on to say that some people ( not all, of course) live off of the hustle and bustle of life and never develop an engaging, thoughtful, pattern of thinking but instead watch the consuming television ( that never allows one to think unless its about some commercial and they feel intrigued to go buy Doritos because of it).
I don’t know, what you think about the older people and the difference of life style of some that cause others to be more life filled and less life drained later on.
*I do want to form this habit of writing but I’m still unsure what it is I should jot down.
*There are many thoughts and ideas that flutter through from time to time.
*Is Isaac Watts suggesting that a person should form the habit of recollecting everything that happened in a day at the tail end before they asleep?
*Or, I’m sure a life of writing can be about anything but the key is to continue on and on with it so the habit is formed.
* Whether or not this, this is the case ( of what I said about Mortimer J. Adler) I still want to improve my mind, knowing that I’m still an beginner at the art of thinking.
Thanks Heath for the Post!
I highly recommend Watts’ book Logic and the book he wrote after it, The Improvement of the Mind. You can find Logic here: https://archive.org/details/logicorrightuse02wattgoog
You can find The Improvement of the Mind here: https://archive.org/details/improvementofmin00wattuoft
Improvement in the quote means ‘application.’ Asking yourself, how did what I learn apply to my life? (that sort of thing). He’s saying, don’t just write down what you read, but write down why you thought it was important and how it affected you.
Keeping a journal or a blog could be helpful. I started this blog just to write down thoughts and applications of things I’m reading. The old fashioned way of doing it, which I’ve never been disciplined enough to do, is simply keeping a diary.
As for my personal habits I try to make notes in the margins of books and on my Kindle. I write down quotes that I find particularly helpful here on the blog and I write a little bit about how the quote hit me at the time (a brief application of the quote). As far as recounting my day, for instance, tonight, when I got home from work, I told my children stories. I try to take things that have happened to me and make them into humorous stories for them. And I tell my wife about my day as well. I do take some inventory at the end of the day as well. I try to reflect each morning on what I learned the day before. That’s usually something I do in prayer. There are plenty of different ways you could do that. Look at Augustine, he made his whole life story into one long prayer (the Confessions).
Ya, I’ve read a majority of the confessions. He talked about going to Gladiator battles and plays!
Thanks for the sites for the two books.
I see what you mean by the writing life and i guess its up to the person of how often they want to reflect on what they have wrote.
Its by speaking it and by writing down the occurrences of the day and I do like the idea of speaking to God in prayer of yesterday!
This is off topic but I wanted to ask you what your views are on drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco?!?
*You read C.S. Lewis and he smoked a pipe; he drank a pint with the inklings.
*The actions of smoking and beer are all over the Narnia world and the Middle Earth.
*Do you embrace the Christian liberty of these God-given herbs or is it more of a use for sin?
You most likely know Charles Spurgeons habit of smoking a fine Cigar in the Evening; he said he did it to the greater Glory of God.
The Bible talks about drinking wine and other alcohol beverages ( I have known that it was a lower alcohol content for sure).
What do you think on these two things?
are you a teetotaler? or is it a topic that’s open?
One of my bible study pastors said drinking beer was a sin but I didn’t think it was.
I’m just curious!
And I’m going to make a blog because yours is organised and I’m all over the place with my journals!
A blog would be a decent organizer tool!
The blog cost money?
1. No, you can start a wordpress blog for free. Just go to wordpress.com and sign up.
2. I am a Presbyterian, who are notoriously okay with drinking and the like. I am a believer in ‘the liberty of the conscience,’ which is the idea that we cannot bind men’s consciences about things that God has not spoken, or if we cannot at least make a clear argument from the application of the Scripture. So, I have no problem with alcoholic beverages used in moderation (the Bible does speak against drunkenness). And I have no problem with tobacco. Scientists might be able to make an argument against the use of tobacco, but I see nothing in Scripture. I personally do not drink or smoke, but that’s simply a matter of choice and I would not bind it on anyone else. I own a pipe that belonged to my grandfather, and I used to smoke it from time to time with some friends, but I haven’t done that in years.
If you believe that you can do those things to the glory of God, then I have no problem with that. Alcohol is not inherently evil, it is a good gift God has given to man to gladden his heart. It is our sinfulness that abuses God’s good creation and uses it for evil.
Thanks Heath for the reply!
Heath, I was thinking about what you said in the reply about Tobacco and alcohol of your second bulletin . You said, ” I’m a Presbyterian” . This had me see that there really are different denominations and they have a some what different approach on certain things. I know for sure there is a distinction between Catholicism and Protestantism so I don’t want to get into that. However, I’m curious why somebody would distinguish themselves in a certain denomination in Christendom. I remember reading in “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis and how he said that its important to get into the hall of “Christendom” but its a decision to make for many of what room they want to stay in.
My main question is why do you call yourself a Presbyterian and how can somebody find out what denomination they are fitted to (that doesn’t sound right)? Does it matter?
It bothered me that G.K. Chesterton kept bringing up “Predestination and the “10,000 commandments” of the puritans. He wanted a strong view of free-will.
I chose to become Presbyterian because I read the Westminster Confession of Faith (which my denomination confesses) and found that what it teaches is what I believe.
With that said, I would recommend reading various confessions of faith and/or catechisms. Most Reformed and Presbyterian denominations use Westminster Confession and Catechisms. Reformed Baptists use the 1689 London Baptist Confession. Other Baptists might use something like the Southern Baptist Baptist Faith and Message. Conservative Anglican/Episcopalian churches use the 39 Articles and the Common Book of Prayer. And there are other statements of faith for different denominations.
I think attaching yourself to a denomination can be very helpful in a number of ways. The main thing is that if you do not plant your feet (so to speak) into a particular tradition it will be more difficult to move forward theologically. You have to plant down before you can grow up.
Thanks for the reply! I wil plant my feet somewhere soon!