How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"Yes. Detaching myself. And this is important—not just for someone like me, who is dying, but for someone like you, who is perfectly healthy. Learn to detach." (15.27)
Here, Morrie is teaching by example again, being that human textbook. The lesson of detachment, he says, is as important to him as it is to Mitch. He's asking Mitch to look at him, use him as a learning tool to understand the importance of what he's teaching.
Quote #8
At Brandeis, he taught classes about social psychology, mental illness and health, group process. They were light on what you'd now call "career skills" and heavy on "personal development." (16.19)
Morrie has always been a teacher of life. Rather than education being a hobby, or even a career path, learning and living are wrapped up together for him; he's earned his degree and helped others earn theirs through the study of human behavior.
Quote #9
I remembered how he used to teach this idea in the Group Process class back at Brandeis. I had scoffed back then, thinking this was hardly a lesson plan for a university course. Learning to pay attention? How important could that be? I now know it is more important than almost everything they taught us in college. (19.55)
Learning how to learn—what a concept. Morrie is wise to realize that this is one of the most basic things we need to learn. We need to learn to walk before we learn to run or ride a bike, right? Well if we learn the basic tool of becoming aware of the world around us, then we can get started on particulars.