Replay: Adam Gopnik shares Five Things He's Learned about... Five Things I've Learned
Check out the first five minutes of his recent class.
“I’m an essayist, and a humanist, not a scientist – but then this is a subject that demands the broadest humane vision. I won’t’ give you a recipe, but I will give you a reason – a series of reasons – to explain why learning happens, and to give you confidence that real learning never ends. Every vector of our humanity presses down on us from every side when we undertake the process of mastery – learning to do things we didn’t know how to do before. As I’ll explain, across the lifetime I’ve spent learning and the time I’ve devoted to thinking about learning I’ve come to understand that sorting out those vectors and finding the continuity within them is, well, it’s the real work.”
– Adam Gopnik, Five Things I’ve Learned about Five Things I’ve Learned
On March 23rd, Adam joined us on Five Things I’ve Learned to share the Five Things He’s Learned about the mystery of mastery – and about the ways that our humanity is immeasurably enriched in even the simplest things we set out to master.
Adam Gopnik, a celebrated writer for The New Yorker, has spent over three decades contributing fiction, essays, memoirs, and criticism, serving as the magazine’s art critic and Paris correspondent. He has received multiple prestigious awards, including three National Magazine Awards and France’s Legion d’Honneur. An international bestselling author, his books range from Paris to the Moon to All That Happiness Is (2024), and he has also written children’s books and musical librettos. In addition to his writing, he has delivered notable lectures, worked on musical projects, and continues to write extensively about Paris and American culture.
Adam’s class, Five Things I’ve Learned… About Five Things I’ve Learned, was an inspiring exploration of the lifelong process of mastery. Through stories of magicians, artists, and boxers, he illuminated the shared principles of learning, the transformative role of great teachers, and the necessity of imagining others in our growth. He also delved into the beauty of imperfection in art and the unexpected power of secondary passions, leaving participants with a deeper appreciation for the continuous and enriching nature of learning.
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