To Learn, Be Humble

"When you stop learning, stop listening, stop looking and asking questions, always new questions, then it is time to die." - Lillian Smith, Novelist (1897 - 1966)

In our fast paced, high information world, there's way more information than for any one individual to claim to know it all. Even more new information is being created everyday. To excel in the age, learning is not an option, it is a prerequisite.

You can choose to stay comfortable getting obsolete in the few areas you have acquired and exhibited knowledge or you can strive to keep acquiring new knowledge, challenging what you know and applying as you learn. The second option will keep you relevant in the rapidly changing knowledge sphere but requires deep humility.

We often build our identity and sense of self worth in the areas where we have exhibited knowledge. Having to question this expertise can lead to bouts of inferiority in the less grounded that often we choose the easy path and avoid questioning our core knowledge. This is the fast lane to irrelevance and obscurity. 

Your sense of worth should not be diminished by admitting that there are lots of things you don't know even in your domain. You are not omniscient and never will be.

Humility is also needed to realise there is ABSOLUTELY NO ONE you can't learn from. Contrary to the mindset crafted in our schools, learning isn't one directional from the expert to the empty ignorant student. The best teachers learn a whole lot from their students even as they facilitate collective learning.

Smart CEOs go out of their way to learn from everyone in their organisation even the lowly janitor or the humble receptionist. These people have perspectives of the organisation that the CEO might be blind to. It takes humility to engage with everyone with the intent and attitude to learn. 

There are always multiple perspectives to any issue in life. Remember John Godfrey Saxe's poem about the Six Blind Men and the Elephant.

Rather than stay perched on your high horse trying to pitch your perspective as the only true view, you are better served by humbly listening to other people tell you what they are seeing from their vantage point. That way you can start building a better composite about the issue. 

Remain willing to see other vantage points as you may not have met and interacted with everyone viewing the issue.

Some may be seeing lying down, what you are looking down at from you lofty position. Do not, in despising their lying state, ignore what they see. It may be the critical piece you need to understand the issue under exploration.

Remember, everyone is an expert from their point of view. You are better served by humbly engaging. You humility will also motivate them to share with you. Remain humble and more of the world and life would be revealed to you.

Even Christ said

"Blessed are the humble, for they shall inherit the earth" Matthew 5:5 (NLT)

Please share your thought about this reflection about humility and learning with me in the comments below. I want to see your perspective

#Day12 of my #PostADay Challenge