“You are too young to be a professor!” I could almost always surprise new acquaintances when I told them I was a university professor, especially a tenure-track one. I was genuinely thankful for their compliments; however, the almost universal response I got from different people when they first learned about my profession prompted me to muse on a fundamental human condition: our battle with time. People were often amazed by how much I had achieved at such a young age, as if accomplishing more in less time were always better. True, who wouldn’t want to be a genius? Nevertheless, if we think more deeply, the timeline we are accustomed to measuring ourselves against is indeed artificial. And that artificial timeline, which substituted standardized time for more natural, organic time, serves the interests of those who already have more resources.
Category Archives: Ivory Tower
Beyond Interpretation
There is one “occupational hazard” of being an academic: I have developed a propensity to interpret things, sometimes even before I have the chance to experience them. By interpretation, I mean finding an explanation or making a point when I come across something interesting. This habit of interpreting, which is an acquired taste after all,Continue reading “Beyond Interpretation”