The power of belief

"In the end, we will only conserve what we love. We will only love what we understand. We will only understand what we are taught." - Baba Dioum

As the semester winds down to a close, I am left to reflect on the lessons I have learned during the first quarter of my masters career. In three short, fast-paced months I have developed my ideas, defended them vehemently and repeatedly revised them to accomodate for the constant barage of predominantly constructive criticism that befalls a graduate student.

And in the wake of all of this, I come out with two primary teachings to carry into the spring.

The first was from a professor who taught two of my classes this term (I now say fortunately):

The art of public communication is the greatest charge, and greatest downfall, of any scientist.

The second came to me experientially, suddenly, in one of those moments that comes quite unexpected:

The power of belief is the most valueable tool any scientist wields.

That is to say that if, once you have done all you can and said all that there is to say, you have succeeded in convincing someone that what you believe is worth the reconsideration of their own beliefs, then there is little more you can ask for.

In communication, in transcending the boundaries of disciplines and prior concept, the passionate scientist should feel the greatest sense of accomplishment when he/she inspires others to action. Or if not to action, then simply to care.

Because that's really all we can ask for, right? For others to care about what we care about, to love what we love and if not to love it, then to understand why we do and why what we love motivates us to keep moving forward.

Because it always does, as one semester fades into the next. It will always keep us moving forward.