3.1.3 Interpretation and Elaboration of Truth

It is really surprising how many various notions of an idea will be carried away by the members of a class from a single declaration on the part of a teacher.

A phase of a subject may be presented which links up with a particular experience of one of the pupils. To him there is only one interpretation. To another pupil the phase of the subject presented might make no appeal at all, or linked up with a different experience might lead to an entirely different conclusion.

Truths need to be elaborated and interpreted from all possible angles—all possible phases should be developed. An interesting discussion recently took place with a young man who had “gone off” on a pet doctrinal theory.

His whole conception built itself up about a single passage of scripture. Satisfied with a single notion, he had shut his eyes to all else and “knew that he was right.” Properly to be taught, he needed to be trained to suspend his judgment until all the evidence was in.

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