Beyond Personality

I was tempted to be offended by the way that the presentation depicted Lewis' view of women while I listened to it in class. I had a hard time dealing with the idea that he only liked a woman because of her "masculine mind". I would not consider myself a radical feminist, but I do think that women have long been over looked and belittled. I was thinking about how great it would have been to have C.S Lewis for a teacher, and then I wondered if Lewis would have even given me the time of day because I am a girl.

Then, I realized that we often ask to be belittled. The quote "Perfect humility dispenses with modesty" reminds me that even in studies, we should present our ideas with confidence. Lewis would be proud of any student who engaged his (or her) mind in what they were studying, was quick to ask questions, eager to share opinions, but glad to have them critiqued or refuted. As a humble student, I wish that I could live the type of life Lewis lived- constantly engaging deep subjects in reflective thought.

In the excerpt that we read from Screwtape Letters, Screwtape describes the effective strategy of simply making the person think about nothing for long periods of time. I am so tempted to do this with useless staring out the window, or even wasting time staring at Facebook pages. I would much rather spend my time thinking, and becoming the type of person who is interesting to talk to, who offers a mind sharp enough to sharpen yours on. Lewis, in "Our English Syllabus", says "...The interesting and the interested man..."describing the type of people that we should want to be.

I am only allowed to be offended by degrading remarks about the minds of women if I do something about it. This is a great reminder that minds are sharpened with practice. I want to be fully engaged in my studies, fully invested in the search for truth, and willing to open my mind.