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A common practice of any serious scholar since time immemorial, rote learning has received an undeservingly bad rap in the postmodern world.
Children no longer memorize the parts of speech and lists of prepositions, adverbs, or adjectives. Memorizing math facts is somewhat passé in favor of conceptual learning, and historical dates and geographical markers have been long neglected.
And what about memorizing character traits to remind oneself to behave well? Has that taken a hit as well?
You bet it has!
Children used to memorize the different virtues and the different vices when young, but not anymore. In fact, in the modern world the virtues and vices have been inverted.
Getting angry at the slightest injustice is hailed as your “right” and thinking of yourself first regardless of other people’s needs now puts you amongst the enlightened members of pop psychology.
In earlier times, putting your needs above others was simply being selfish.
But I digress.
Some people claim that rote learning is memorizing without comprehension, and therefore, useless. But is it? The original meaning of “rote,” which comes from Middle English, meant “repetition.”
