Daily Ramblings – Wisdom Wednesday

Tags

digression, improvement, Knowledge, plus factor

“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” – Socrates

Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/socrates_101212?src=t_wisdom

Knowledge is so fleeting, isn’t it?

We learn something, gain some knowledge, apply that knowledge and learn more. So much of what we learn, gain, and apply is unique to each of us. Our unique nature drives us to learn things that others are not interested in, but literally, drive us to learn more. The more we learn, gain, and apply, the more nuances we discover during the process that are specific to us.

I find that knowledge, along with any skill we develop, evolves. The better we get at something; the more opportunities arise that allow us to grow again. Learning then is evolutionary and continuous. Each time we learn something new or gain proficiency in something provides more opportunities. These opportunities are more like capabilities. The more capable we are, the more things we can do, the more things we must learn, and the upward spiral continues. Each time we elevate to a new level compels even further learning, further improvement, and even more discipline than we had before.

This plus factor is continuous. There is always something more to learn, something more to explore, something more to experience. There is a catch, however. If you fail to push your limits continually, you will stagnate and digress.

The best analogy for this is exercise. Your body is an incredible machine that will adapt to new environments. If you stress your cardiovascular system, central nervous system, lymphatic system, musculature, tendons, and bones, the body responds by making them stronger. The body by itself is very stupid. It doesn’t know that you are curling a 20lb dumbbell or a 40lb dumbbell. It only knows the stress that is placed on it is greater than its current capability to lift or move this weight. Subsequently, the body over adapts by repairing that muscle to meet the demands that were placed on it. The same follows for every system in your body.

Each of us is unique but the principle of the plus factor is active in all aspects of our lives. Take advantage of this factor by improving all aspects of your life. Push yourself to get better physically and mentally. Increase your social circles and your network. Pursue improvements in your spiritual life. Each time you reach a new level, you’ll be able to do more. Then push again.

This is what this quote means to me. Each time we learn something or achieve something, we are on new ground. That new ground requires us to learn the new rules that only exist at this plateau. Be the very best you can be and continue to raise the bar. Growth is healthier than decline.

Until next time…

Dave

 

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Daily Ramblings – Wisdom Wednesday

Tags

Happiness, Knowledge, Rabbit hole, Searching, Truth, wisdom

“The greater our knowledge increases the more our ignorance unfolds.” – John F. Kennedy

Boy, is this a good one!

When I was studying for a Doctorate, I truly began to realize how true this and other statements are about our limited knowledge in so many fields. When we discover something new, we begin to discover more avenues to follow and begin to discover there is a lot more to understand. It’s almost like running down a never-ending rabbit hole, much like the one in Alice of Wonderland. The key difference is the rabbit hole only leads to other ones, and other ones, ad infinitum.

I think we just need to understand that this seeking will never end. There will always be something more to know, more to apply, more to do. It is never ending because with each new discovery, more doors open in other fields, more doors open for commercial application, and more doors open to refine the idea just discovered.

Subsequently, science needs to keep seeking to understand that it needs to seek some more only to understand that this answers this question and presents ten more. We need science, but science will never discover the truth about our reality. Truth is only experienced. Truth is known when we see it. Truth is unchanging. When you find the truth, you don’t need to continue looking. Truth just is.

Our search for knowledge also concerns other aspects of our lives. Think about happiness for a moment. Are you happy? If not, why not? Happiness is a state of mind—an attitude. You either are happy, or you are not happy. Happiness, like truth, is within. We must learn how to be and nothing more.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe – Applying Knowledge

Tags

Applying what we learn, Goethe, Knowledge, Learning for work, Validating Sources

Today’s quote:

“Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.” – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

I love to learn new things, particularly things that help me pursue my goals. I enjoy learning a new workout routine, discovering a new supplement that may be helpful, or learning something about writing.

Learning these things is great, but why learn anything if I don’t use what I’ve learned. This is what Goethe is talking about. I would argue that learning is meaningless if we do not apply these things to our work.

With all of the information available to us, it is really hard sifting through what is true and what is crap. Subsequently, we have to filter what we use as a source when we learn something new. When I find some information online that could contribute to my work, I look at the source before reading it. Why would I take the word from someone just like me without any proof of their expertise?

When reading about writing, I enjoyed Stephen King’s book. He is a successful writer. He is credible. The advice he provides is worthwhile because he has demonstrated success in his field. When reading about managing my time, David Allen (author of Getting Things Done and creator of the GTD methodology) is a credible source. When reading about the character ethic, Dr. Stephen Covey, is by far the world’s expert.

Pay attention to what you use for your learning. There are a lot of posers out there. Research the person claiming their expertise. Have they been successful in their field? Are they offering advice in that field? If you want to learn about football, read a book by a professional football player. If you want to learn about investing, read books written by successful investors.

You get my point. Put some extra effort into the sources you learn from. These sources should demonstrate success in the field they are teaching about.

Thanks for reading!

Until next time…

Dave