Beyond a Parrot's Mind by by Isagani Sarmiento

Why write a book entitled “Beyond a Parrot’s Mind”? How can such an idea enkindle a person’s mind from being merely a vessel for containing, and then mimicking, memorized, stuffed information? How can this mind be lit up to a blaze for active critical thinking, understanding, and reasoning? What improvements can the world expect from a person who responsibly utilizes such cognitive and intuitive divine endowments to be a force for doing that which is good, true, lovely, dignified, righteous, just, and well-spoken of? The motivation to write “Beyond a Parrot’s Mind” was triggered, firstly, by a serendipitous discovery of a disconcerting reference by Webster’s New World Dictionary to a “person” as being a “parrot”. It says that “Parrot is a person who mechanically repeats the words or acts of others, usually without full understanding.” As I pondered upon this definition, I asked: “Who can this ‘parrot’ be? (Oh, can it be me?) How did the mind of this ‘parrot’ develop? Is ‘parroting’ still commonly practiced in Philippine schools in this day and age of the 21st century? Secondly, I inquired further why there are persons who seem to ‘know’ more, or who are more ‘intelligent,’ or who are ‘wiser’ than others. To put it in practical, real terms, how is it that a high school graduate, or a college drop-out, could own, manage and control, and run a multi-billion dollar business that employs PhDs, scientists, engineers, or other technical experts?” Plutarch, a student at the Platonic Academy between AD 66 and AD 67, declared: “I don't need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better.” In alignment with Plutarch’s outlook, I wrote this book with no intention of winning friends- nor to make enemies either, but that this literary work may influence the way people comprehend what they hear from others, or perceive what they see themselves. While it is good to be an attentive listener, or, it is also beneficial to be an observant witness, it is far better to be a doer of what one hears or sees, for in so doing, one demonstrates that he has gone past the limits of mere knowing- a state of being a passive end-user to a state of prolific inventing. He has entered the portals of what is more powerful than knowledge: that power is Understanding. Confucius said, “What you hear, you will forget; what you see, you will remember; but what you do, you will understand.” In the last verse of the 14th chapter of the book of Hosea, the state of being wise is related with the ability to understand, and intelligence with the ability to know. He wrote: “Who is wise? Then let him understand these things. Who is intelligent? Then let him know them.” Based upon this statement, I pursued to find the answer to this question: “Are Philippine schools producing intelligent service-oriented graduates for worldwide employment? Or, is the national system of education designed and geared towards the generation of wise, creative entrepreneurs and leaders for its long-term economic and social development?” One does not have to look any farther to observe the evidence that the Philippine education system is producing intelligent graduates with mind-sets for local as well as foreign employment. I partitioned the book in three sections: Section One is essentially my autobiography; Section Two shares some of my longings and prayers for my motherland, the Philippines; and, Section Three discusses ideas on how I propose, “thinking outside the box”, to raise up new breeds of Philippine youth who will revive our nation’s economic strength, reclaim our nation’s integrity, and restore honor and dignity. For this principal reason, I call on you, and those who, like me, are undergoing metamorphosis from being domesticated “parrots” into rationalizing “eagles”, to return with me to our motherland.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (June 5, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 146 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1521423598
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1521423592
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.37 x 9 inches