In my opinion, the love of learning is an addiction you either have or you don’t. My father was a professor of mechanical engineering who was considered an expert in fiber stress: How the materials used to build a plane, a bridge, an automobile, etc. will hold up under extreme stress. But he also knew more about classical music and literature, Greek mythology and astronomy, and even history than many of his colleagues who taught those subjects. He was addicted to learning. He was also a staunch conservative whose mind was unyielding on many subjects.
“Brittle behavior occurs when the material shows no yielding; the stress-strain curve continues smoothly to fracture.”
Dad quote from the chapter “Prediction of Static Failure” in his book:
It’s ironic to me how anyone who taught fiber stress could be so unyielding in matters of law and order, morality, and politics as my father. I like to think, given his breath of knowledge, he would have cheered the election of Obama purely for the historical significance, even though he could never vote for a democrat. I like to think he would have recognized that the fiber of this country was being fatigued to the point of fracture by the GOP’s increasing acceptance of anti-intellectualism, immorality and greed. But you know, we all want to think the best of our parents.
There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge. Issac Asminov
I’ll never know what my father would have done. If he would have stuck with the GOP despite its embrace of all the things he hated or if, in the end, he would have been able to yield. I will never know.
Dad (in the hat) where he was the happiest – building
Join me on Blue Sky at: jwiz26@bsky.social. I have no idea what I’ll be doing there. Maybe teaching fiber stress? What’s your handle?
When you are curious and addicted to learning, you generally will accept what knowledge comes your way, whether you like those facts or not. We have a regrettably large population who simply don’t want to know (or learn) anything that messes with their view of reality or what they want the world to be. Frankly, that terrifies me. My dad was a long-time Democrat so I’m sure of how he would have voted, but I often wonder how my late Libertarian husband would have reacted to DT. He definitely had some conservative leanings although I would like to hope that he would have rejected DT for the multitude of egregious beliefs he holds and the horrors he’s intending to perpetrate on our country and people.
Can’t sleep, again. We live in the time of pre-trauma. You know, right before the trauma hits. Pre-trauma is marked by dread and nightmares and the slow realization that America has always been a mean place ready to kill just about anyone, anywhere in the name of freedom. Ask the Indians. Ask the slaves and the beaten women and the children carrying coal and anyone who is different. We are more than doomed, we have been fucked since the beginning. When the first slave got off the boat and some white guy decided to beat him. Duke
I often wonder how my late father felt about politics. I was 15 when he died and we never had those discussions…
As a highly educated and moral man, I think I can guess.
😉
That’s rough. I always thought of my father as a highly principled, moral guy (he never swore or got so much as a parking ticket). But his politics – oh my. And they only got worse after he married lady with racist tendencies. I think he was getting disgusted by her and her friends toward the end and so I just don’t know.
Hi Jan, this post is very interesting and does state some things that I have thought probable but not been entirely sure about. I think this idea that my ignorance is as good as your knowledge is a world wide issue now.
Just found you on BlueSky, and have followed you. I’ve been on there for two days and am already finding it much better and friendlier than X. I’m considering leaving X quite soon.
I’ve thought about how my father, a politically conservative man who never stopped learning, would have voted. He’d have called out the GOP on its misogyny, but would he have accepted the rest of it… being loyal to a side? Like River I don’t know, he died when I was 15.
I’m pretty sure my father never would have voted for a democrat – despite teaching fiber stress he was an unyielding person but I prefer to think he would have never voted for a clown.
Hi Jan this was such an interesting post and your father sounds like a wise man. Iove that photo too.
My dad was a life long Labour man and he was also a shop steward and a union rep and delegate. He fought hard daily for the workers male and female in his union. He lived though two world wars , encomic depression not to mention many technical and social advances….he would be appalled at the political state of the world today, our country and yours especially . It’s a sad future infront of us.💜💜
Hi Willow – my father wasn’t much of a humanitarian like yours. He was a scientist who preferred to be in his lab most of the time. I really have only hopes that he would have rejected Trumpism but perhaps it’s better that I will never know for sure. I know so many people absolutely devastated by what has happened within their families.
Saying nothing in particular 
When you are curious and addicted to learning, you generally will accept what knowledge comes your way, whether you like those facts or not. We have a regrettably large population who simply don’t want to know (or learn) anything that messes with their view of reality or what they want the world to be. Frankly, that terrifies me. My dad was a long-time Democrat so I’m sure of how he would have voted, but I often wonder how my late Libertarian husband would have reacted to DT. He definitely had some conservative leanings although I would like to hope that he would have rejected DT for the multitude of egregious beliefs he holds and the horrors he’s intending to perpetrate on our country and people.
Hello Margaret! We like to think don’t we? Your reply is most interesting I have ever read. who are you?
I’m a blogger from Washington State, retired high school teacher with two daughters and three grandsons. Lifelong liberal.
I’m also known as Stargazer (blog name) because I have a large Stargazer lily in my front flower bed and love astronomy and stargazing.
http://teacherwoman.typepad.com
I found your blog – great stuff. Looking forward to getting to know you!
Who’s the good looking red head?
The only female in the picture is me but that was taken a while ago! I’m just old looking now!
Can’t sleep, again. We live in the time of pre-trauma. You know, right before the trauma hits. Pre-trauma is marked by dread and nightmares and the slow realization that America has always been a mean place ready to kill just about anyone, anywhere in the name of freedom. Ask the Indians. Ask the slaves and the beaten women and the children carrying coal and anyone who is different. We are more than doomed, we have been fucked since the beginning. When the first slave got off the boat and some white guy decided to beat him. Duke
I agree. It’s not the only country filled with angry people but it’s no longer the shiny city on the hill.
I often wonder how my late father felt about politics. I was 15 when he died and we never had those discussions…
As a highly educated and moral man, I think I can guess.
😉
That’s rough. I always thought of my father as a highly principled, moral guy (he never swore or got so much as a parking ticket). But his politics – oh my. And they only got worse after he married lady with racist tendencies. I think he was getting disgusted by her and her friends toward the end and so I just don’t know.
Hi Jan, this post is very interesting and does state some things that I have thought probable but not been entirely sure about. I think this idea that my ignorance is as good as your knowledge is a world wide issue now.
Oh no. I was hoping it was just here in the US!
Not at all
Just found you on BlueSky, and have followed you. I’ve been on there for two days and am already finding it much better and friendlier than X. I’m considering leaving X quite soon.
It does seem friendlier and more aimed towards the arts than politics.
I’ve thought about how my father, a politically conservative man who never stopped learning, would have voted. He’d have called out the GOP on its misogyny, but would he have accepted the rest of it… being loyal to a side? Like River I don’t know, he died when I was 15.
I’m pretty sure my father never would have voted for a democrat – despite teaching fiber stress he was an unyielding person but I prefer to think he would have never voted for a clown.
Hi Jan this was such an interesting post and your father sounds like a wise man. Iove that photo too.
My dad was a life long Labour man and he was also a shop steward and a union rep and delegate. He fought hard daily for the workers male and female in his union. He lived though two world wars , encomic depression not to mention many technical and social advances….he would be appalled at the political state of the world today, our country and yours especially . It’s a sad future infront of us.💜💜
Hi Willow – my father wasn’t much of a humanitarian like yours. He was a scientist who preferred to be in his lab most of the time. I really have only hopes that he would have rejected Trumpism but perhaps it’s better that I will never know for sure. I know so many people absolutely devastated by what has happened within their families.
This Situation is really heartbreaking for the whole world 💜
You never know. We should simply be open and ready to learn at all times, and see where it takes us.