BETWEEN SILENCE AND LIGHT---KNOWLEDGE
Knowledge does not belong to any human. Knowledge belongs to that which has to do with nature. It belongs to the universe, but it doesn't belong to eternity, and there is a big difference.
How much can be learned? It is not how much you learn that is important, but how much you honor the position of learning in what you are doing. You must know, to feel your intuition, but you must not trust your knowing as something that can be imparted to someone else. You transfer your knowing into the work you do, and that is your best character.
Everybody is not equally talented. They are all marvelous, yes, but not equal. There is no person without talent. Talent prevails everywhere, but the question is in what way your singularity can blossom, because you cannot learn anything that is not part of yourself. Many of you have learned physics, i am sure, and passed every examination, and you don't know a word of it. That happened to me. I copied the notes of the boy next to me because he could both listen and write. If i listened, i could not write. If i wrote, i did not listen. The teacher might have said to me, "Louis Kahn, it is important you learn physics because you're going to be an architect. But i would rather you don't take notes. Just listen. You will be examined, but i will ask you to draw physics for me." And i would have surprised him. It would be my forte, my way, and therefore it must not be disturbed. If you are crowded with that which does not belong to you, you will forget it; it will never be with you, and you will lose the sense of your worth.
I revere learning because it is a fundamental inspiration. It isn't just something which has to do with duty; it is born into us. The will to learn, the desire to learn, is one of the greatest inspirations. I am not that impressed by education. Learning, yes. Education is something which is always on trial because no system can ever capture the real meaning of learning.
知识不属于任何人，知识属于与自然有关之属性。它属于宇宙，却不属于永恒，且有很大区别。
有多少是可以被学会的？真正重要的不是你可以学会多少，而是在你所做之事上有多么重视学习的姿态。你必须懂得去感觉你的直觉，但不可以将你的认知信任为可以传授给别人的东西。你将你的认知转移到工作中，那才是你最强的能力。
不是每个人都有同等的才华。他们都是非凡的，是的，但不同等。没有人是缺乏才华的。才华到处窜行，但问题是在什么样的方式你的奇点可以开花，因为你无法学会任何不是你自己一部分的东西。你们中的许多人已经学习了物理学，我确信，也通过了每一个考试，你却对它一无所知。我碰到过这种事。我抄写我旁边男孩的笔记，因为他能同时听与写。我如果听，便不能写。写，便不能听。老师可能对我说过，“路易斯康，学习物理学对你来说很重要，因为你将要成为一个建筑师。但我宁愿你只听而不记笔记。你会被测试，但我会要求你为我画物理学的东西。”我可能另他感到惊讶了。那是我的强项，我的方式，因此一定不会被扰乱。如果你拥挤在不属于你事物中，你将会忘记它，它将永远不会与你在一起，你也将丧失你的价值感。
我敬畏学习，因为它是一项基本的灵感来源。它不是仅仅与责任有关的东西，它本就与我们同在。学习的意向，学习的欲望，是最主要的灵感来源之一。我对教育不是很有印象。学习，却有。教育总是面临考验，因为以往没有任何系统能够捕捉到学习的真正意义。（自译）
How much can be learned? It is not how much you learn that is important, but how much you honor the position of learning in what you are doing. You must know, to feel your intuition, but you must not trust your knowing as something that can be imparted to someone else. You transfer your knowing into the work you do, and that is your best character.
Everybody is not equally talented. They are all marvelous, yes, but not equal. There is no person without talent. Talent prevails everywhere, but the question is in what way your singularity can blossom, because you cannot learn anything that is not part of yourself. Many of you have learned physics, i am sure, and passed every examination, and you don't know a word of it. That happened to me. I copied the notes of the boy next to me because he could both listen and write. If i listened, i could not write. If i wrote, i did not listen. The teacher might have said to me, "Louis Kahn, it is important you learn physics because you're going to be an architect. But i would rather you don't take notes. Just listen. You will be examined, but i will ask you to draw physics for me." And i would have surprised him. It would be my forte, my way, and therefore it must not be disturbed. If you are crowded with that which does not belong to you, you will forget it; it will never be with you, and you will lose the sense of your worth.
I revere learning because it is a fundamental inspiration. It isn't just something which has to do with duty; it is born into us. The will to learn, the desire to learn, is one of the greatest inspirations. I am not that impressed by education. Learning, yes. Education is something which is always on trial because no system can ever capture the real meaning of learning.
知识不属于任何人，知识属于与自然有关之属性。它属于宇宙，却不属于永恒，且有很大区别。
有多少是可以被学会的？真正重要的不是你可以学会多少，而是在你所做之事上有多么重视学习的姿态。你必须懂得去感觉你的直觉，但不可以将你的认知信任为可以传授给别人的东西。你将你的认知转移到工作中，那才是你最强的能力。
不是每个人都有同等的才华。他们都是非凡的，是的，但不同等。没有人是缺乏才华的。才华到处窜行，但问题是在什么样的方式你的奇点可以开花，因为你无法学会任何不是你自己一部分的东西。你们中的许多人已经学习了物理学，我确信，也通过了每一个考试，你却对它一无所知。我碰到过这种事。我抄写我旁边男孩的笔记，因为他能同时听与写。我如果听，便不能写。写，便不能听。老师可能对我说过，“路易斯康，学习物理学对你来说很重要，因为你将要成为一个建筑师。但我宁愿你只听而不记笔记。你会被测试，但我会要求你为我画物理学的东西。”我可能另他感到惊讶了。那是我的强项，我的方式，因此一定不会被扰乱。如果你拥挤在不属于你事物中，你将会忘记它，它将永远不会与你在一起，你也将丧失你的价值感。
我敬畏学习，因为它是一项基本的灵感来源。它不是仅仅与责任有关的东西，它本就与我们同在。学习的意向，学习的欲望，是最主要的灵感来源之一。我对教育不是很有印象。学习，却有。教育总是面临考验，因为以往没有任何系统能够捕捉到学习的真正意义。（自译）
