If you want to know the near absolute truth regarding a tool, a datum, a philosophy or a theory, the first thing to do is to enrol yourself as a student of science. Embark on a voyage to find out yourself the precision of the theory fed to you by different sources. And then recognize yourself what is the near truth by your own observation. Don’t let someone else to force a piece of information on you just because he wants you to believe it.
It is up to you as a student of science to find out how precise these tools are. Before you start to discuss, criticize or attempt to improve on the data presented to you, make up your mind about each thing that is taught, be it a procedure, a technique, mechanics and theory. You should ask yourself these questions. Does this piece of data exist? Is it true? Does it work? Will it produce the best possible results in the shortest time? Answer these questions for your own satisfaction. Find them yourself.
These are fundamentals, and every student should undertake it to discover them himself, thus raising the established science above any authoritarian category. It is not sufficient that an instructor should stand before you and declare their existence. Each and every student must determine for himself whether or not the instructor’s statements are true. 
There are two ways men ordinarily accept things, and I believe neither of them is very good. One is to accept a statement because authority says it is true and must be accepted, and other is by agreement among other people. A man by the name of Galen had one time dominated the field of medicine. It was only after some time that another man by the name of Harvey upset Galen’s cozy position with a new theory of blood circulation. Galen had been agreeing with the people of his day concerning the tides of the blood. They knew nothing about the action of heart. They accepted everything they had been taught and did little observing of their own. Harvey worked day in and day out, and found by experimenting on animals the actual function of the heart. Finally Harvey made his announcement. He raised quite a commotion in medical and social circles.
So the only advice is to study science yourself and then form your own opinions. Study with the purpose in mind of arriving at your own conclusions, as to whether the tenets you have assimilated are correct and workable. Do not allow the authority of any one person or school of thought to make a foregone conclusion within your sphere of knowledge. Do not make the mistake of criticizing something on the basis of whether or not it concurs with the opinions of someone else .The point is whether or not it concurs with your opinions. Does it agree with what you think? Because the truth of matter is that all the answers, all the happiness, all the satisfaction you will ever find lies in you? The need of the hour is to experiment and observe them yourself. I have a strong faith that with these principles of education in mind, one can truly become educated. 

(Dr. Mushtaq Chalkoo IS Consultant and laparo-endoscopic and minimal access surgeon at GMC, Srinagar. Feedback at Mushtaq_chalkoo@rediffmail.com)

Lastupdate on : Tue, 24 Apr 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
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