Comparing vs. Learning
I am writing this post as a way of formalizing one of my goals for 2016. I want to change the way that I learn and interpret information. As a young professional in a digital age, I am constantly hunting for information that can help me grow. What I’ve noticed, however, is that every article I read, presentation I see, podcast I listen to, etc. leaves me with a feelings like “I’m not doing that, but I should” or “I do that really well.” There are two fundamental flaws with this line of thinking:
- Most of the information I consume is in the form of opinions, or at the very least, best practice. Very rarely are these thought-gasms based on bonafide facts.
- Looking for meaning and comparing for contrast are two widely different mindsets. Not to say that one is better than the other, but comparing and contrasting ideas to one’s own situation makes it much harder to see the true meaning of the idea.
My goal for 2016 is to observe for meaning rather than comparison. I’ve found that I am missing key messages of the information I’m taking in because I get held up on how that information can be applied to my current situation. By aggregating as much raw information as possible, I will be able to create my own opinions and understandings of how that information pertains to me. These opinions may form instantly, or over time. Neither is better nor worse. Its all about building context. Our neural network works by looking for things to associate. The more options you have, the better the chances of that association being meaningful and complete. Now this is not to say that I want to blindly accept things as they are present to me. Instead, I want to accept the position that the information is presenting, and interpret it through that position, rather than my own. There is reason behind the way that information is presented. While the words themselves are valuable, there is even more value in understanding why those words were chosen over others.
My goal is to be informed before I make judgement, rather than judging the information as I take it in. For me, this will require a conscientious effort to remove the cloud of judgement to allow myself to gain a more meaningful interpretation of everything I encounter. My hope is that this effort will pay off not only in my leaning and growing as a professional, but also in other aspects of life. I believe that this goal can help in every meeting, conversation, relationship, and decision I make, among many other aspects. Are you conscience about how you take in information? How would you characterize it? I’d love to know!