Ars, Imitatio, Exercitato

While in prison, Malcolm X copied an entire dictionary. He was one of the most powerful and influential speakers of his day. Similarly, civilizations ago, among the various things the ancient Greeks believed was the idea that imitatio - the imitation of the accomplished poets and speakers of their era - would invariably hone a talented student's ability. So, for example, Greek students copied exactly famous works of poety. So, how do these two things relate?

Malcolm X, through copying the dictionary, rigorously learned and internalized the structure of English language - not the words, the structures. He worked with the language to reshape his image of himself, to reshape personal values, and to introduce himself to - not just the vocabulary of english language - but the cultural vocabulary of of our world. He sharpened his sense as a native english speaker of how english works, and then brilliantly utilized and applied this knowledge later on in life. Apparently, this is what imitatio teaches. For me, Malcolm X also illustrates how valuable personal, self-directed, and hard-won knowledge really is.