A sage is not afraid of lack of knowledge: he is not afraid of hesitations, or hard work, but he is afraid of only one thing — to pretend to know the things which he does not know.
You should study more to understand that you know little.
(Michel de Montaigne, October 1)
Do you do this? Are you a "know-it-all"? When someone mentions something in conversation, do you nod knowingly, even if you have little or no idea what they're talking about for fear of looking "dumb"?
Don't be that guy!!
I absolutely love it, and I can tell when I am in the presence of a real intellect, when I hear someone say, "No, I haven't thought of that...please go on!" or "I've never heard of him- tell me more!" The thirst and quest for knowledge is one of the most attractive, sexiest things ever. Yet this arrogance that pervades our society, particularly my generation, so the younger, twenty/thirty somethings, typically well-educated, hip, professional types, is becoming a huge barrier to the organic sharing of knowledge and information.
Google Reader is closing down!! Let me throw that out there and tie that in with this topic.
Google Reader was a free service that allowed readers to follow their favorite websites and compile lists, organized tables of banks of information. A journalist or researcher could keep this wealth of data at his or her fingertips, readily available, when a question or curiosity arose. What does it say that it's now closing down? We have less curiosity? Less thirst for knowledge? Ohhhh no. That's ridiculously awful.
We don't know it all. Yes, we live in a time with almost all written knowledge at our fingertips. Religious texts, philosophical musings, great works of literature...all available with just a click of a mouse. So why aren't we using it? Why didn't Google Reader servers crash on a regular basis?
Arrogance. We've all been there...sitting in a coffeehouse having an "intellectual" conversation with someone who skims over deep content and who you can tell is too busy forming his or her next sentence than even listening to what you are saying. A fake conversation, a tepid back and forth, where no real information is shared, no new knowledge revealed, no questioning of one's own thoughts, preconceived notions, etc. I observed and was a part of such conversations enough times to realize that the most incredibly intelligent people I know are those who listen deeply and intently, who take time to form their responses (why do we think those who are quick with a tongue and witty response are smart?), and who constantly admit their ignorance on a particular topic and are eager to research it further...and then they do! If they haven't read a particular author, the next time you see them they mention, "Hey, I took a look at that Flannery O'Connor you were talking about...crazy stuff, huh?" And BOOM! You're having an amazing conversation about the quirkiness of a somewhat hidden gem of an American author with someone who can actually relate to what you're saying. That's an intellectual banquet! A feast of shared knowledge and experience!
Why are we so scared of such an exchange? Why are we so scared to admit ignorance? There is so much knowledge, infinite, really, in the world- it's OK to admit you don't know it all. That you don't know a fraction of it, and you never will! There's no better door to great conversation around a fire pit on a spring evening or in a coffeehouse or around a coffee table littered with beer bottles, books, etc. with friends than the words, "No, man, I didn't know that....tell me about that...sounds cool!" Opens the door to a rich sharing of knowledge in the most rich and timeless way- storytelling, verbal communication.
Don't be afraid to spend your life constantly learning, seeking knowledge, facing every day with an innocent and wide-eyed wonder at the vastness of the world and all that lies therein. Go forth and seek knowledge, read, listen, watch, and take pleasure in this simple joy!
Do you do this? Are you a "know-it-all"? When someone mentions something in conversation, do you nod knowingly, even if you have little or no idea what they're talking about for fear of looking "dumb"?
Don't be that guy!!
I absolutely love it, and I can tell when I am in the presence of a real intellect, when I hear someone say, "No, I haven't thought of that...please go on!" or "I've never heard of him- tell me more!" The thirst and quest for knowledge is one of the most attractive, sexiest things ever. Yet this arrogance that pervades our society, particularly my generation, so the younger, twenty/thirty somethings, typically well-educated, hip, professional types, is becoming a huge barrier to the organic sharing of knowledge and information.
Google Reader is closing down!! Let me throw that out there and tie that in with this topic.
Google Reader was a free service that allowed readers to follow their favorite websites and compile lists, organized tables of banks of information. A journalist or researcher could keep this wealth of data at his or her fingertips, readily available, when a question or curiosity arose. What does it say that it's now closing down? We have less curiosity? Less thirst for knowledge? Ohhhh no. That's ridiculously awful.
We don't know it all. Yes, we live in a time with almost all written knowledge at our fingertips. Religious texts, philosophical musings, great works of literature...all available with just a click of a mouse. So why aren't we using it? Why didn't Google Reader servers crash on a regular basis?
Arrogance. We've all been there...sitting in a coffeehouse having an "intellectual" conversation with someone who skims over deep content and who you can tell is too busy forming his or her next sentence than even listening to what you are saying. A fake conversation, a tepid back and forth, where no real information is shared, no new knowledge revealed, no questioning of one's own thoughts, preconceived notions, etc. I observed and was a part of such conversations enough times to realize that the most incredibly intelligent people I know are those who listen deeply and intently, who take time to form their responses (why do we think those who are quick with a tongue and witty response are smart?), and who constantly admit their ignorance on a particular topic and are eager to research it further...and then they do! If they haven't read a particular author, the next time you see them they mention, "Hey, I took a look at that Flannery O'Connor you were talking about...crazy stuff, huh?" And BOOM! You're having an amazing conversation about the quirkiness of a somewhat hidden gem of an American author with someone who can actually relate to what you're saying. That's an intellectual banquet! A feast of shared knowledge and experience!
Why are we so scared of such an exchange? Why are we so scared to admit ignorance? There is so much knowledge, infinite, really, in the world- it's OK to admit you don't know it all. That you don't know a fraction of it, and you never will! There's no better door to great conversation around a fire pit on a spring evening or in a coffeehouse or around a coffee table littered with beer bottles, books, etc. with friends than the words, "No, man, I didn't know that....tell me about that...sounds cool!" Opens the door to a rich sharing of knowledge in the most rich and timeless way- storytelling, verbal communication.
Don't be afraid to spend your life constantly learning, seeking knowledge, facing every day with an innocent and wide-eyed wonder at the vastness of the world and all that lies therein. Go forth and seek knowledge, read, listen, watch, and take pleasure in this simple joy!
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