Essay – You cannot Step Twice in the Same River
Introduction
The proverb “You cannot step twice in the same river” is a simplified usage in contemporary times of the Greek original quote “No man ever steps in the same river twice” or “ No man ever steps in the same river and he is not the same.” Although the proverb was popularized by F. E. Baird through his book Philosophic Classics: Ancient Philosophy, the original proverb was ascribed to the pre-Socratic thinker and philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus between the 6th and 5th Centuries BC.
Discussion
The true significance of the Greek proverb lies in its implication that a river is similar to life which flows at a fast pace and once missed cannot be relived again. As such it has a similar strain of thought as embodied in the Carpe Diem philosophy of Latin philosophy embodying the principle: seize the day i.e: make the most of the present without pondering over the past or the future. The philosophy contained in the proverb traces the different stages of human life till its ultimate culmination in death as conceptualized by Jean Piaget in his theory of Cognitive Development through different stages in 1936.
Piaget’s theory focuses on how an individual gains knowledge and experience that in turn influence that individual’s life. Each experience of the particular stages is pivotal for the stages cannot be repeated or the experiences cannot be relieved.
Piaget has formulated four distinct phases of the development of individuals as Sensorimotor stage, Preoperational stage, the Concrete operational Stage and the ultimate phase of the Formal operational stage.
The Sensorimotor Stage lasts from an infant’s birth to two years. As the name suggests, this stage is characterized by internalizing information gained through external stimuli by using faculties such as vision, hearing, touch and smell. Children of this age can record and comprehend things they witness. For instance, if a toy car is present in front of the baby, he believes in its existence till it is hidden from his sight. It’s only after the age of seven that children believe in the existence of things that are not apparent in plain sight. The preoperational stage is initiated after the sensorimotor stage where individuals are capable of comprehending symbolic and abstract concepts moving beyond simple comprehension of concrete things. For instance, individuals in this stage can understand the symbolic significance of words such as ‘dog’ by creating mental images of the animal. The following stage is called the concrete operational stage which begins after the age of eleven years. This stage is characterized by their awareness as social beings and the gradual shedding of self-centricity. Individuals at this stage comprehend their true significance concerning their families and social environment. The ultimate stage that follows is known as the formal stage which occurs during the adolescent period of individuals. The stage is characterized by the exploration of abstract concepts such as self-identity, and self-respect and philosophies such as existentialism. For instance, an adolescent inclining the concepts of justice would want to learn the law in future.
Conclusion
To surmise, the proverb “You cannot Step Twice in the Same River” originating in the 6th Century BC by the pre-Socratic philosopher Ephesus is relevant even today for it signifies a universal truth. Time is like life and a river cannot be revived and relieved once it passes away. This philosophy can be traced to Jean Piaget’s philosophy of the Operational stage of development of an individual’s life where the growth in each phase is essential for the development of a wholesome personality.
FAQs
Q1. Who originated and popularized the aforementioned quote?
Ans: Although the proverb was popularized by F. E. Baird through his book Philosophic Classics: Ancient Philosophy, the original proverb was ascribed to the pre-Socratic thinker and philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus.
Q2. What are the stages in Jean Piaget’s theory?
Ans: Jean Piaget has formulated four distinct phases of development of individuals as Sensorimotor stage, the Preoperational stage, the Concrete operational Stage and the ultimate phase of the Formal Operational Stage.
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