Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself.
Chinese Proverb
No matter how learned a person is, their knowledge is of little use without proper guidance. And that is where teachers come in. A good teacher not only hones their students’ knowledge, but also gives them the confidence to make it big in life.
Unfortunately, a lot of people have the wrong idea about a teacher’s role. While a good teacher does mean higher chances of success, it hardly guarantees anything on its own. You see, despite all their experience, good intentions, and vast knowledge, all a teacher can do is impart all that information to you in the best possible way. Ultimately, what you make of that information entirely depends on you. You may have studied from the best teachers in the world, but still not have a fruitful life. Complicated?
Well, learning from a teacher is the same as looking out a window. You get to see a lot, but hardly anything to experience. Learning from an instructor can theoretically equip you to take on the mundane challenges, but you need to step out and face the music to get the practical experience. A teacher’s job is to open the door for us. It is for us to get in.
This obviously doesn’t mean that a teacher’s role is inconsequential, for having the right knowledge gives one a head start over the others. Someone who has had no instructor to guide them is bound to struggle before they finally figure out the mantra for success through some trial-and-error and a lot of luck. On the other hand, a person with a sound theoretical knowledge will have it that much easier when life’s real challenges beckon.
Ancient China, along with India, was the reservoir of a major chunk of mankind’s present knowledge. One such Chinese proverb emphasizes the role teachers play in our lives: “Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself.”