Discussions pt.2: Iron Sharpens Iron

Remember my post about discussions at the beginning of this blog? Well, I thought I would write a little more on the same topic.

Today, I had lunch with a good friend of mine. He is an up-and-coming theology scholar. I am a brand new interpreting and translation researcher. He loves to look at beliefs and compare theories. I love getting my hands dirty in experiments and real-world data.

We come at academia from different angles but somehow, we always manage to inspire each other. He inspires me to keep searching and not to settle for the obvious. He inspires me to never discount theory. He is not only a great scholar but a brilliant friend.

That is the essence of worthwhile discussion. We challenge each other, praise each other and offer opinions. We laugh at the daftness of academia and encourage each other to keep going. If ever discussion was worth something, it is worth something when we meet together.

Maybe I have softened over time, maybe I haven't but I still think that there are few better moments in life than when you really engage with someone and try to work out how to inspire them.