Sentimentality and Suffering, Lifelong Teaching and Learning

Many hearts harden with age and insecurity, an empirical fact correlated with age and political conservatism. For myself, I have become more sentimental, more attuned to the suffering of other people, and indeed all living things. Earlier this evening I managed to compose several hundred words on the situation with SARS-Cov-2 in India, and the incredible increase in the number of confirmed cases, and the mortality that is already destroying the country. From a distance, we are watching an utter disaster unfold before us on our screens, and the international community moves all too slowly to help. With over two hundred thousand dead already, rapid interventions are required but are not yet forthcoming. The numbers and the logistics are empirical facts; the empathic reality comes from the stories of despair and terror from people who herald from these lands. On an individual level, my sentimental thoughts have also been dominated by a dear friend whom I fear I can do little for. The occasional updates I graciously receive give the impression of overwhelming life pressures, so great that their own sense of self is thrown into doubt. On both this subcontinental level and this individual level, I suffer from a sense of helplessness. At least with the former, I can give resources to my favourite charities, knowing that they can act. In the latter, more proximal situation, I am in complete despair.

Despite this, I find some solace in the acts of teaching and in the process of learning, both apparently lifelong endeavours for me. The last three days were another three days of workshops, conducted by yours truly. The two usual Linx and HPC courses, and following with GPU applications and programming course. My teaching continues for the University of Rojava, with now just over a week of lessons to complete. It also appears that, surprisingly, I will be writing the exam as well. At the other end of the lecturn, I am still working through the economics chapter of the MHEd thesis whilst at the same time completing the revision of my macroeconomics exam for my graduate degree in that course at LSE. At least in part, I should be able to combine at least some aspects of the two inquiries simultaneously, especially around the principles of public goods (information), positive externalities, the cost-disease of the service sector, and the export of education as a service. The fact that I am doing all this whilst also moving home in a piecemeal fashion does not allow for much freedom in my waking hours. But, as Confucius said: "The scholar who cherishes the love of comfort is not fit to be deemed a scholar." I have no doubt that he was not referring to material possessions.