You are trying to help your eleven plus child to think
logically. You suddenly remember all your work in the sixth form when you were
studying proportional calculus. You recall your mathematics teacher discussing
tautologies. You explain to your ten
year old that one meaning of the word is that everything is true in every
possible interpretation.
You are not sure that your eleven plus child is actually
listening. There is no eye contact. You wonder if spending all this time on
eleven plus work is actually going to pay off in the end.
“You mean that if I say that I am hungry and feel like a Big
Mac, that it is true and I really want a Big Mac?”
“It is bit more complex than that, my dear. We are
discussing experiential and symbolic levels. Do you understand?”
“Not really. Can I have a Big Mac, please?”
“If we were counting using actual Big Macs we would be organising
our thoughts in an experiential manner.”
“O.K.”
“If we counted using the bits of card around the Big Mac, we
would be counting using symbolic terms.”
“You mean the covering of the Big Macs is symbolic – and the
real Big Mac is what we eat?”
“Exactly. I am proud of you.”
“Please can we go now?”
“Where would you like to go?”
“To get a Big Mac, please.”
(The logic of a ten year old!)
No comments:
Post a Comment