Ophelia Syndrome
Ophelia Syndrome
Study Skills
November 12, 2012
In the essays of Diagnosing and Treating Ophelia Syndrome and Everybody is Ignorant on Different Subjects two topics are discussed which are related, in that they both have to do with learning and being able to think as an individual. The Ophelia Syndrome is not processing the ability to create one’s own opinion. Ophelia is a character in the play Hamlet. She is described as a helpless child and has a “Lord” or authoritative figure that forces her even lower to the status of an infant. The danger of this ‘syndrome’ is that we are forcing students to become clones without thoughts of their own, just mimics of the teacher. Instructors are now dictating what/how to think, and what/how to learn. When students are asked what they think they often become frustrated, silent or hostile. Thomas G. Plummer the author of Ophelia Syndrome gives 6 treatments for Ophelia Syndrome which include seek out the best teachers, Dare to know yourself, learn to live with uncertainty, practice dialectical thinking, foster idle thinking, and plan to step out of bounds. These treatments all help us to become educated people. The two most effective treatments are: seeking out the best teachers and daring to know yourself. Seeking out good teachers is important because it will be a better learning experience and will help you get a better education opportunity. Daring to know yourself is important because only you can push yourself to learn and remember things. It is also important because only you can know your personal learning style. The topic of learning/teaching has been a reoccurring theme in my life lately and it has influenced me to make goals and determine exactly what I want out of my education here. I want to use my time wisely. I want to seek out the best teachers and I want to learn, how to think and who I
Study Skills
November 12, 2012
In the essays of Diagnosing and Treating Ophelia Syndrome and Everybody is Ignorant on Different Subjects two topics are discussed which are related, in that they both have to do with learning and being able to think as an individual. The Ophelia Syndrome is not processing the ability to create one’s own opinion. Ophelia is a character in the play Hamlet. She is described as a helpless child and has a “Lord” or authoritative figure that forces her even lower to the status of an infant. The danger of this ‘syndrome’ is that we are forcing students to become clones without thoughts of their own, just mimics of the teacher. Instructors are now dictating what/how to think, and what/how to learn. When students are asked what they think they often become frustrated, silent or hostile. Thomas G. Plummer the author of Ophelia Syndrome gives 6 treatments for Ophelia Syndrome which include seek out the best teachers, Dare to know yourself, learn to live with uncertainty, practice dialectical thinking, foster idle thinking, and plan to step out of bounds. These treatments all help us to become educated people. The two most effective treatments are: seeking out the best teachers and daring to know yourself. Seeking out good teachers is important because it will be a better learning experience and will help you get a better education opportunity. Daring to know yourself is important because only you can push yourself to learn and remember things. It is also important because only you can know your personal learning style. The topic of learning/teaching has been a reoccurring theme in my life lately and it has influenced me to make goals and determine exactly what I want out of my education here. I want to use my time wisely. I want to seek out the best teachers and I want to learn, how to think and who I