DEEP INTERPRETATION
Beyond Provocation
to Commitment
Provoke: To arouse, stimulate, incite
Commit: To assume an obligation.
In my teaching days, if I had
provoked just one student toward
the path of critical thinking, it was
a good day’s work. Believe it or not,
I could see the light of an original
thought reflected
in the faces
of provoked
students. And,
guess what?
The so-called
brightest students
didn’t have a
corner on the
light bulb! Of
course, we
know that there
are several kinds of intelligence,
and it just might be that critical
thinking and book learning are
not always compatible in the same
individual. I learned early on that
it would be naive to assume that
all students come to class with the
refreshing expectation of having
their beliefs challenged. Edward de
Bono, a pioneer in the field of critical
thinking, is fond of pointing out, “If
you never change your mind, why
have one?”
A commitment to critical thinking,
just like a commitment to recycle or
a commitment to volunteer, is not
something that comes easily. There
are numerous reasons not to commit,
and they can be very solid. We are
A commitment to
critical thinking, just
like a commitment
to recycle or a
commitment to
volunteer, is not
something that comes
easily.
busy people, and a commitment
of time is not done cavalierly. And
having to critically think about
something we already know, or think
we know, might seem to be a distinct
waste of time. If that something
happens to be part of your belief
system, rethinking that specific
belief may put you in a vulnerable
position. Unless you enjoy mentally
challenging exercise, and unless you
also believe that being vulnerable can
WILL LAPAGE
open new doors, you’ll probably take
a pass. In the best of circumstances,
making a commitment is an anxiety
producer. It’s a perfectly healthy
feeling of self doubt to ask yourself,
Can I live up to my commitment?
Assume, for the moment, that
you are being asked to make a
commitment—a commitment to
help out with something you deeply
believe in, such as spending time
with handicapped children in a
park setting. Isn’t it likely that you
are feeling a certain amount of
discomfort? Do you have enough
information to commit? What are
the ages of the children? Have you
worked with that age group? Have
you worked with handicapped
children? Who else is involved?
How much time will it take? Do you
have the time to spare? There are
many more questions, but isn’t the
deciding factor one of how strongly
you believe in the importance of
the project? If you believe deeply,
isn’t it likely that you will make
time available despite the many
unanswered questions? So, if belief
is such a powerful requisite for
commitment, what does that mean
for the interpreter who is hoping to
get beyond provocation? Does it open
the door to exploring shared beliefs
about heritage and the importance of
heritage preservation?