June 22, 2008

BYBS : Writing

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The development of language as a means of communication can be said to be one of the greatest steps in the human evolution process. Using language one human being can communicate to another his feeling, experiences, fears, hopes, desires etc.

Over a period of time, languages developed scripts and things began to be written down. That was the best thing that could have happened to humans, as transfer of knowledge became independent of the capacity of the human mind to remember things.

In ancient India knowledge was transferred from teachers to students orally. The teacher recited the mantra, and the students repeated it after him until they had learnt it by heart. This way the amount of knowledge that could be transferred from a teacher to a student was limited by the student's ability to remember things.

Having things written down made things easier for both the teacher and the student. The teacher did not have to worry about any "knowledge" getting lost over the ages, and students weren't under pressure to mindlessly learn things by heart. They could take their time to read things, understand them, and eventually remember them.

If it was not for the written word, every generation would have needed a Newton, a Einstein, because if they had not written down what they had discovered and invented, the next generation would have been lost to all of their work. It would have to be re-done by someone else.

Having written literature has therefore contributed immensely to all the major developments that have been made by human kind.

And then there is that other great benefit of writing as an outlet for our creative enrgies...but that is a matter to be taken up on another Sunday...on another BYB.

Have a good week ahead!

2 comments:

Paulie said...

Well stated! Don't forget the pleasure of being able to read about history, how to do something or a novel just for enjoyment! Writing is a form of communication that lasts from generation to generation for sure!

CyberCelt said...

I love to write, but I feel we may have lost something sacred when we stopped storytelling in the oral tradition.

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