Life Skills We Learn From Studying Humanities
The humanities are an endless collection of human documentation; bounded together by our own values and perceptions of one another. As individuals, it is important for us to connect with each other and share our ideas. The humanities introduce us to many important themes that are evident throughout our lives; such as global perspective and history. An important theme presented in the study of the humanities is life skills. These skills may include critical thinking, teamwork, decision making, self-evaluation, and problem solving; which are especially important in the process of communicating effectively. The many challenges that we are faced with in different situations can be overcome through the development of our skills used in everyday life.
Our life skills are significant to us in all aspects of our lives; especially in our workplace environments. Critical thinking is an example of one skill utilized in schools and other workplaces. This skill is described as the careful analyzation of a concept or situation to produce a logical response. Critical thinking serves as the basis for making rational, reliable, and unbiased decisions. At our workplaces, those who take on leadership roles must realize the importance of making precise and timely judgements, as they may affect the organization entirely. Thinking critically may also remove the barrier that affects how we express our ideas effectively through developing our language — enabling us to change the way concepts are proposed to other individuals. As a student, my critical thinking abilities often influence the way I approach certain problems. It is important that I choose a logical path so that I can arrive at a proper conclusion and help my peers.
Creative thinking is a skill that is defined as our ability to produce new approaches to situations and innovations. Creativity is a trait that gives individuals a valuable sense of identity and distinguishes them from others. Creative thinking gives people the opportunity to view ideas and conceptions from a new perspective. Seeing things from different viewpoints allows you to see the flaws presented in arguments and other discussions. Unorthodox thinking accounts for most of the inventions that are used in modern society; such as bandages, cameras, and ear muffs. By taking new approaches and making new techniques to solve every-day concerns, we can discover a plethora of solutions.
As we journey through the paths of life, we often begin to inspect ourselves and attempt to find a true understanding of who we are and what we believe. This is a process called self-evaluation; it allows us to reflect on what we hold dear to our hearts and identify our strengths and weaknesses. While studying the humanities, we must first understand ourselves before we can learn about each other’s culture. By evaluating ourselves, we can find out what we are good at, and contrarily, the areas that we lack in. We develop our moral characters and learn new skills by acknowledging our imperfections and building on them.
Teamwork is one of the most common skills required when cooperating with other individuals. We often learn about teamwork as children in primary school, often working together produce simple crafts and competing against each other in groups. When people work together as a team, they are often in pursuit of achieving a common goal. Companies often create teams to perform certain tasks in an efficient manner and to maintain an effective sense of communication between workers. Seldom are people able to function as a whole without working together. Teamwork is one factor that enables us to have a strong work ethic and support each other. By working together, people can begin to see the value within each other and even share new ideas.
In the short story The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin, the author describes a society whose citizens thrive on an artificial mean of joy in bargain for the happiness and well-being of a child being held captive underneath the city. Perhaps if the citizens of Omelas were able to find true happiness through the development of their life skills by cooperating with each other in an emotional sense and trying to figure out a way to balance the happiness of the child and people, then they would not have to bear the burden of knowing that all their smiles and laughter were in vain.
The study of the humanities provides us with key insights to understanding each other as humans. An important theme that I have stumbled upon in my studies is life skills, which are the necessary skills humans need to function and communicate effectively with each other. Some important life skills include teamwork, creativity, critical-thinking, and self-evaluation. These skill sets allow us to further understand each other and our cultures of the past and present.
