Havamal Snippets 120: Learn from a Good man

Learn from those who are friendly and well learned.  Learning is an active thing that requires effort.  While we may have brains like proverbial sponges that soak up data, we can't soak up that data if we don't first put ourselves close to a fountain of knowledge in the first place.  Learning requires effort, Willfulness as well as the source data (be they sentient or not - remember that the Havamal was originally orally transmitted because the Vikings didn't have a written culture, so the note about learning from a good 'man' may not be as relevant in modern times when we have access to many types of information e.g. written, audio, pictures, motion-pictures, etc).
 

120
Ráðumk þér Loddfáfnir
en þú ráð nemir
njóta mundu ef þú nemr
þér munu góð ef þú getr
góðan mann
teygðu þér at gamanrúnum
ok nem líknargaldr meðan þú lifir  
 
I advise you, Loddfafnir,
to take advice;
you would benefit, it you took it,
good will come to you, if you accept it:
[6] draw [5] a good man
to you with pleasant conversation,
and learn healing charms while you live.


[End.]