Tuesdays with Morrie

To be honest I wasn’t super excited about reading Tuesdays with Morrie for this semester when I first got the email about it. I was familiar with the book’s storyline because I had seen both the movie and play that it inspired. The main reason that I wasn’t so interested in reading the book is that I thought it would be the same tired old sermon about how we only have a limited time to live and we should all cherish each moment. Tuesdays with Morrie is about that, but it’s not preachy and it also really does connect into the goals of Paideia and our cohort’s theme.

Being more reflective about experiences
This Paideia goal is very central to Tuesdays with Morrie. In fact, Morrie and Mitch spend a great deal of their time together reflecting on their experiences. This goal is important (both in the memoir and in Paideia) because it allows an opportunity for us to learn from past mistakes and successes, develop a deeper understanding of how we process and function, and examine the direction which our lives have taken. Moreover, in the context of the book Mitch is given the advantage of hearing Morrie reflect on his experiences, thus benefiting from the life experience of someone who has seen and done a great deal. Upon reflecting about his experiences Mitch discovers that he is not as happy as he might be and that he is very much caught up in a vacuous and materialistic life. Mitch’s realization leads him to “be more intentional about [his] choices” another Paideia goal.

Being more intentional in choices
By being more intentional in his choices Mitch regains control of his life, instead of allowing his work to control him. He also rearranges his priorities, placing spending time with a dying friend above work (granted this choice was made easier by a union strike). Mitch also chooses to let go of the things that might normally upset him (such as bad smells, uncomfortable situations, and upsetting episodes of Morrie’s illness) in order to be the best friend that he can be to his dying professor. Mitch reaches out to Morrie in a way that he would have never expected to, because he chooses that learning from, spending time with, and comforting a friend is the most important thing he can do. Morrie teaches Mitch to use intentional choices not only to free himself from the unreasonable burdens Mitch had accepted from his career, but also to build a more fulfilling future for himself (for instance by realigning his priorities and beginning to rebuild his relationship with his brother).

Understanding human behavior
Morrie is first and foremost a student of humanity; consequently Tuesday with Morrie acts much like a textbook on humanity. In fact, one of the first questions Morrie asks Mitch upon seeing him for the first time in about sixteen years is “Are you trying to be as human as you can be?”. In fact during the rest of their time together Mitch and Morrie discuss the most essential, valuable, and frightening things that are a result of being human, such as aging, regrets, love, family, death and forgiveness. I find Tuesday s with Morrie to be an excellent text for a course that seeks to explore and understand human behavior.