The Myth of Knowledge

Why are you on Social Media (LinkedIn, Medium, YouTube, Facebook, etc.)?

Back in 2007, when I did my MBA, I stumbled across an ancient proverb called THE NEED TO KNOW: "Best is to know – an know you know. Next best is to know that you don't know. Third best is knowing, but not realizing it. Worst is not to know that you don't know." At the time, I thought this bit of wisdom is priceless, especially to find expert advice when needed, for the right personal or professional purpose.

Ever since, I've started to question the notion of "Best Is To Know." I do not question the intrinsic value of the proverb itself, because, as the proverb stated, best is to know, but what I do question is the compulsive NEED to know more and how new knowledge directly TRANSLATE into reality for your very unique personal or professional situation. So here's where I am coming from. Today's business environment poses a paradox: the challenge of reconciling information OVERLOAD with lightning-fast DECISION making – to survive in an every-escalating UNCERTAIN marketplace. 

Pause Periods:

Over the last year or so, I've started to create intentional "Pause Periods" from social media (SM), more specifically Facebook and LinkedIn. During these "Pause Periods," as I resist the urge for more information, instead, I try to understand and analyze the real ROI (Return on Investment) derived from time spent on SM yesterday, last week, or the previous months before. My conclusion is something like this: what we know (meaning, what we gain from SM) means nothing or very little; it is who we ARE and what we DO, that ultimately matters. The myth of knowledge solving all problems is repeated like a mantra in our culture. Your school teacher or college professor may have cared about what you knew. Still, in the real world, your customers, employers, and other stakeholders are not going to quiz you at the end of each financial quarter, they look at what you actually accomplished – and that is a function of who you ARE and what you DO. In a sense, what I am saying, the hard part is not knowing what to do (more time on SM), but actually doing it, day in and day out for the rest of your life. Let's consider the example of OBESITY (overeating and lack of exercise). You and I know what to do, eat less, run more. That simple. No need to scroll around any longer on SM (aka THE NEED TO KNOW more) or listen to another Guru or attend another Masterclass on this topic. The only conclusion (supporting the case) is that if we do not eat less and run more, it is not a failure of knowledge; instead, it is a failure of behavior – a moral failure.

Ownership of Character:

So what is the connection between time spent on SM (aka THE NEED TO KNOW more) and your character? If you look at the graph I've created to explain this scenario, you'll see that at a personal and professional level, real VALUE is a function of taking ownership of your own character - who you ARE, and what you DO - and that hinges on one thing, and one thing only, your CHARACTER. 

As it turns out, scrolling around on SM for new signals where we might find or build more personal and professional strength ultimately derives from within!

My best guess is that as you are reading these words on your smartphone's screen, you are holding your phone in your right hand, scrolling and tapping up and down with your right thumb, by pure habit for THE NEED TO KNOW more. Probably nothing wrong in doing so, but allow me to make two suggestions for your consideration. First, shouldn't we all have more deliberate "Pause Periods" from SM, allowing implementation of new information. Second, do an in-depth audit of your SM ROI; I think you'll be surprised by the outcome. When all is said and done, I am pretty sure more is said (especially on SM), than actually done. This is where the rubber meets the road, taking OWNERSHIP of your CHARACTER is more complicated than scratching the urge to scroll-and-scroll for the need to know. 

Long live character!