"Walk Ten Thousand Miles, Read Ten Thousand Books ...

Let's work it out. To me this saying proposes an outlook in which there is always more of something stretching out before you ten thousand of ... Skiptomaincontent Sharethisstory Sharethisstoryonfacebook Sharethisstoryontwitter Sharethisstoryonreddit Sharethisstoryonlinkedin Getthisstory'spermalink Printthisstory ByDukeTodayStaff "Thisissonice.Everyoneisheretogether,andtheendisnear,butnottoonear." That'swhatItoldaChroniclereporterattheseniorclassbarbequeinCameronfourweeksback.WellClassof2010,hereyouaretogetheragain,butthistimetheendreallyisnear.Very,verynear.Infact,yourconditionisterminal.ToparaphrasethepoetW.H.Auden:YouthoughtthatDukewouldlastforever.Youwerewrong. Thenwhat?Iagree:thethoughtoflifeafterDukeisutterlyappalling.Atthebarbequeoneofyouputitthisway:Nowyouwillbefreshmenintheworkforceoflife.Startingalloveragain,downatthebottomagain,offintheunknownagain,andyoumaybesuretherewillbenobright-facedFACstounloadyourcarthistime.Wanttostickaroundalittlelonger?Toobad!Wehavehardenedourhearts.It'stimeforyoutogo. Butnottobetotallyunkind,Idowanttogiveyouagraduationpresent,andsinceIwantedtofindsomethingthatwouldbevaluableforyoubutinexpensivetome,Ihavesettledonagiftofwisdom.Somemonthsback,Ifoundtheperfectthing. Asyou'veread,inrecentmonthsDukehasbeenexploringapartnershipwithKunshan,themunicipalityjustwestofShanghai.ThecitywiththehighestpercapitaincomeinChina,Kunshanhasbeenasceneofbreathtakinglyrapiddevelopment,butthoughithasattractedalion'sshareofhigh-techindustries,Kunshanknowsthatitlackssomethingessentialtosustainthisdevelopment:namely,high-qualityhighereducation.Tomeetthisneed,KunshanhasinvitedDuketobeitseducationalpartner,anarrangementwithmajoradvantagesforus.AsDukebecomesmoredeeplyembeddedinChina,wewillbebetterabletohelpourstudentsunderstandaculturethatwillbeamajorplayerinyourfuture,andsobetterprepareyouforthelifeofyourtimes. Now,whenIvisitedKunshanthisJanuary,Iwastakentoafamouslocalattraction,abeautifullypreservedancientcitywithcanalsinsteadofroadsZhouzhaung,sometimescalledtheVeniceofChina.InZhouzhaungIvisitedthehomeofaseventeenthcenturyscholarwhowasunknowntomethoughapparentlyknowntoallstudentsinChina,GuYanwu.Inhishouse,IencounteredafamousdictumthatIknewIwasfatedtosharewithyou.MygifttoyouisthissayingfromthescholarGuYanwu:Walktenthousandmiles.Readtenthousandbooks. Walktenthousandmiles.Readtenthousandbooks.Onlytensyllables,andthewordscouldnotbesimpler;butlikeallproverbs,thesimplewordsencodeacomplexmessage.Let'sworkitout.Tomethissayingproposesanoutlookinwhichthereisalwaysmoreofsomethingstretchingoutbeforeyoutenthousandofthem,whichistosay,infinitelymany;anumberyouwillneverbeattheendof.Further,inthisattitude,theselfactivelypropelsitselfintothisspaceofpossibility.Theverbsareactive,commanding:Walktenthousandmiles;readtenthousandbooks. So,theproverbenvisionsamindcontinuallyactiveinexpandingthesphereofitsunderstanding.Butstrikingly,inthisformula,understandingcomesintwoways,notone.Thisisacommandtoexperiencethings,togobeyondmerebook-learning,totaketheinfinitelyexpansiveworldofhumanpossibilityandliveitfirst-hand.Don'tjustreadaboutit.Getoutthere!Walk!Butthesayingunderstandsthatifreadingisnotthewholeofknowledge,itisstillanessentialformofknowledge.Humansaretheonlycreatureswhohavetheabilitytopreservetheirunderstandinginwords,toextendtheirunderstandingtoothersacrosstimeandspaceinwords,andtoaccessunderstandingstheyhavenotachievedontheirownbymentallyprocessingthewordsofothers.Sointhissaying,immediateandword-mediatedexperienceareenvisionedasequallynecessary,mutuallysupplementarypathstoknowledge,thesubjectofequallyurgentcommands:Walktenthousandmiles.Readtenthousandbooks. Thisconceptwillnotbeforeigntoyou.HavingparticipatedinprogramslikeDukeEngageortheSanfordSchoolinternshipsorthePrattGrandChallenges,youhavealreadylivedtheideaofamutuallyenrichingrelationbetweenacademiclearningandengagementwithreal-worldproblems.GuYanwu,youwillbeinterestedtoknow,wasbothascholarandasoldier,havingfoughtonthelosingsideintheoverthrowoftheMingdynasty.HisclaimtofamewastoarticulateaversionofConfucianismthatbroughtthisintellectualtraditionintoclosertouchwitheconomicandpoliticalrealitiesandthefactsofdailylife. Walktenthousandmiles.Readtenthousandbooks.Iofferthesewordsinthis,yourlastclassatDukebecausetheybearonthecourseyouareabouttoset.I'vemetpeople(youhavetoo)who,on"finishing"theireducation,havesnuggledintosomecomfortablenicheandlivedtherecontentedly,withoutthecuriositytotakeonnewchallenges,orcrossoverintoothersocialhorizons,orlearnthingsthatmightrequireareadjustmentofattitude.Youknowwhatpeoplearelikewhonevergoanywhereorreadanything.Atfirstwemightsaytheyare"settled."Afterawhile,other"s"wordsapply:wordslikestuck,orstalled,orstagnant,orstultified. Topreventthatdreadfulalternative,Duke'schiefwishisthatyouwillkeepmoving,keepenlargingyourworld,keepopeningyourselftonewchallengesandprospects,keepusingallyourmodesofintelligencetointegratenewexperienceintoyouremergingunderstanding.YoumaythinkIshouldbecongratulatingyouontheplansyouhavemadefornextyear.Idobuteventhebestnextstepwillproveadeadendifyoudon'ttravelthroughittooptionsyounowcanbarelyforesee.YoumightthinkIshouldbeexhortingyoutoattackgreatproblemsofyourday:globalhealthinequalities,orK-12education,orresourcedestructionandclimatechange,orhyperpartisanpolitics,orcreatingafinancialsystemthatassuresprosperitywhilepreventingrisk.IfyoufixtheseIwillindeedbegrateful!Butyouwon'tbeaconstructivecontributortoasingleoneofthesecausesunlessyouarefirstacertainkindofperson:apersoneagertokeeplearning,tokeepadvancingfromaninitialtoadeeperunderstanding. I'mprettyoptimisticthatyouarenotleavingDukeforaswampofmentaltorpor.Afterall,whetheryoulikeitornot,whatyoudidhereputamarkonyou.InhisbookOutliers,MalcolmGladwellproposesthateveryonewhoisreallygoodatanythinghadanunsungpriorcareer,thetenthousandhoursofingloriouspracticetheyspentacquiringmasteryofaskill.MozarthadtocomposealltheearlyworksofMozartbeforebecomingthegeniusweknow;theBeatles'tenthousandhourssingingandplayinginHamburgenabledthemtobecomeTheBeatles;BillGatesprogrammedfortenthousandhoursbeforehecouldbecomethelegendarycomputerpioneer;BrianZoubek,JonScheyerandLanceThomasplayedtenthousandhoursofchildhoodhoopsontheirwaytobecomingNCAAnationalchampions. Now,let'sdothemath.YoumaynothavereadtenthousandbooksatDuke,andyoumaynothavewalkedquitetenthousandmiles,butyoudidputin,say,sixtyhoursaweekforfortyweeksayearforfouryearswhichisprettynearlytenthousandhours.FromthisIinferthatyourDukecareerwasyourtimeforlayingdownthefoundationsofmastery.Whatskilldidyoumaster?ExactlywhatIamdiscussing:theskillofactive,mobile,many-sidedintelligence.Everycourseyoutook,everyproblemyouworked,everythoughtyouencountered,everyunfamiliarpersonyouengaged,everyseriousorfunthingyouputyourenergyintoaccomplishingeachofthese,andallofthesetogether,wereyourtrainingforthecareerthatawaitsyounow,theperpetualpushtowardbroaderengagementanddeepenedunderstandingthatwillbeyourlifeafterDuke. Youplayedthepractice;nowforthegame!Accordingtomyunassailablereasoning,youcan'tnotgoontothissuccess.Fromtenthousandhoursofdrilling,thehabitsarelockedin,builtsopowerfullyintoyourpersonalitiesthatnothinking-cessationprogramcouldbreaktheaddiction. Buttobefrank,thisisnotquitetrue.Youhavehadawildlystimulatingenvironmentsurroundingyoutheselastfouryears;nowyouhavetocarryontheadventurewithoutsomuchexteriorsupport.Andsomeday,youwillfacethetemptationtostopexpandingyourmentalworld,tobecomeaddictedtothefamiliarround,andtothinkthatwhatyoualreadyknowisthetruth,thewholetruth,andnothingbutthetruth.Thatmayseemlikeadayofperfectcontentment,butitmayreallyonlybeadayofperfectinertia,thebeginningofyourlifeasaformerlyinterestingperson. Onthatday,it'smyhopethatyouwillfeelsomethingitchinginyou,sometracesurvivingfromyourtimeatDuke,pressingthereminderthatthereisalwaysmoretoliveandunderstand.Walktenthousandmiles.Readtenthousandbooks. Myfriends,ajourneyofbecomingbroughtyoutoDuke.AtDukeyoutraveledthenextstageofthatjourney.Nowthejourneyrequiresthatyougoontoanotherstage.There'spaininleavingaplaceandlifeyouloved,butthisisagrowingpain:itsoppositewouldbenotpleasurebutstasisorregression.InapoignantletterpennedjustafterhefinishedMoby-Dick,HermanMelvillewrote:"Lord,whenshallwebedonegrowing?"Heknewtheanswer.Whenwillyoubedonegrowing?Withluck,never;toliveistogrow.Youhavefilledthisplacewithsplendidlife.Nowit'stoofamiliar,soyouhavetobreakoutofheretowinroomtoadvance.Walktenthousandmiles.Readtenthousandbooks.Keepgoing,andkeepgrowing.Timetogo.Gowell. × Linktothispage CopyandpastetheURLbelowtosharethispage. SelectURL NextStory Published August31,2022 INAcademics SanfordStories:YadiraPaz-MartinezonMakingPolicyWorkforMigrantChildren