We rarely think about how much we know. Often, we just keep going through life “knowing”. Rarely doubting ourselves. Going through our regular days as we always do. Interrupted by urgent matters, responsibilities, and unexpected demands on our time.
What becomes more evident as we age, is that our knowledge of any topic or area of skill/experience is limited by our exposure to the subject matter or its “live equivalent”.. Our knowledge evolves. There is always more to learn for there is much we really don’t know.
Once you become aware as well as accept this, something interesting happens. Mentors, coaches, questions, reading, self-learning through podcasts or YouTube, discussions, and planned as well as random meetings become much more valuable opportunities to learn.
Our motivation to learn expands exponentially. Making us pay more attention, be curious, and be humble in testing what we think we know while listening more actively to find new knowledge that will influence and transform our current thinking into something new. and hopefully more complete and balanced.
Our patience with others who have different points of view than we have improves. Our insistence on believing we are “right” diminishes. Not in the sense of damaging our confidence. But reminding us to try to understand a different perspective (instead of simply dismissing it) without our biases before coming to our individual assessment as to its value.
What do our emotions, biases, prejudices, and preconceived notions do to our partial knowledge? They falsely push us to feel certain while damaging our partial knowledge much like a mutation. Destroying the clarity of even our partial knowledge leaving us more confused and in a fog.
There are always people with broader knowledge and deeper experiences than we have. Making their choices different at times than the ones we would make in a similar situation. Aspiring to broaden our knowledge is a good first step to making more effective decisions over time.
Hopefully making our own quality of life better, regardless of our age.