At Friends Seminary, reflection is a means of arriving at and deepening truth about ourselves, others, an action or situation, the environment or a complex set of ideas. Reflection is a tool for understanding and discernment. We strive to heed such insights from a place of understanding, acceptance, and forgiveness. We also acknowledge the risk taking that searching within, voicing an as-yet-unrecognized truth, or preparing for and participating in a class can entail. We seek to question, not reflexively, but deeply.

 

Unhurried reflection is a skill that is nurtured in Meeting for Worship. It is enhanced by a still mind and freedom from distraction, and it can enhance a still mind. In the classroom, age-appropriate times of reflection help ground students for the work ahead as well as integrate the material they have learned; study itself may be a form of reflection. Moments of reflection help community members understand and react more thoughtfully to events and to one another. Asking students to stop and reflect deepens the learning experience. Moreover, action grounded in understanding has power.