Breaking Free From the Knowledge Trap Might Improve Your Life
Keep your mind open
“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.” ― Daniel J. Boorstin
Are you constantly stuck learning about the same topics over and over again, but you never see any actual progress in what you’ve learned?
Do you want to come up with unique ideas or to be known for your own uniqueness?
But do you also — believe you know everything already about a certain topic, so you move on to the next one, without ever verifying your knowledge?
Maybe you even ignore others’ lessons because of your own beliefs?
Well, you’re not alone. This is the game our minds choose to play because we sometimes get so fixated on our knowledge, that it becomes a trap.
There comes an inability to think outside the box because you believe you’re an expert in your area. As a result, you become unaware of the change and you lose the possibility to find new angles and ideas.
Once you stop yourself from learning because of your ‘knowledge’, your mind shuts the door to new discoveries.
In reality, you don’t know something well enough until you apply that in practice.
By learning the traps we all face, you can become aware that opening your mind is the key to success.
What is the knowledge trap?
It’s the place your mind goes to when it refuses to take any more information.
It’s a huge vault of knowledge you’ve collected over your life, where your mind finds its resources. And because of that, it resists taking anything more, thinking it might be enough already.
It’s like a closed box with a lock you don’t have a key to. What’s inside, is inside. Nothing new can come in.
I remember myself, before learning about the existence of this trap — I was refusing to listen, read, or simply learn about the topics I knew something already. This closed-mindedness led me to miss out on opportunities to find new and interesting ideas, make more connections, or get deeper into the topic itself.
The thing is, if you haven’t applied the knowledge you already have in practice, you can’t be so sure that you know it well.
You see, all the knowledge comes from practice.
Have you ever learned anything just by reading or watching?
Yes, you might learn the facts and other theories, but how many times have you actually tried to implement what you know into real-life projects?
Once you start creating something, you’ll realize that you don’t know that much after all.
The thing to understand here is you need to measure progress over knowledge.
Without progress, you can’t prove to anyone how much you say you know.
So learn what interests you and then apply it to your life.
Even if you know something already, keep your mind open, and let the information flow freely. Find new connections and explore different angles.
Never stop seeking improvement.
Open up, evolve, and apply.
Lack of knowledge can be an advantage
“The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again.” — Steve Jobs
Adopting and embracing a beginner’s mind can be one of the best decisions you made for yourself.
Forget everything you know for a moment.
Begin to look at the world from a child’s perspective. Imagine that you’re learning everything for the first time again.
Find new ways to explore concepts and ideas.
You have all the freedom to choose what you want to learn.
Seeing a world as a beginner opens up doors to possibilities.
You lose that heavy burden of relying on your current knowledge when trying to solve arising problems.
Life becomes a play to discover new interesting and unique angles to supplement the knowledge you already have.
Being open to exploring means you can combine different pieces together to create a masterpiece — even when you don’t have all the information.
The beginner’s eyes are filled with fire and excitement.
Try and see for yourself.
Don’t let stubbornness overpower your mind
Do you sometimes catch yourself not listening to a friend who’s trying to explain a certain topic to others, because you know something about the topic?
You just ignore the lessons from others believing you know everything they want to share.
But do you know how much you’re missing out on?
Every person is different.
Even when we have certain knowledge about some topic, we interpret it in our own way and understanding. This leads to millions of different perspectives about the same topic.
When you acknowledge the trap you’re in, you can embrace learning from different sources. This lets you better understand other people’s views and thinking.
Adopting an open mind lets you discover new possibilities and see connections that aren’t obvious.
Think and look outside your mind
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” ― Socrates
Sometimes we become so trapped inside our heads that we’re unable to see what’s outside.
This leads to missing out on new knowledge.
Or even broaden your current one by being open to listening and accepting what others have to say.
A closed mind limits your knowledge. This leads you to have limiting beliefs about some areas in life.
I’ve learned this lesson some time ago, but sometimes I still catch myself being unable to open up for different ideas.
It’s not about accepting those other ideas, it’s only about seeing and hearing them so you can have a brought understanding of the world we live in.
Everyone has a different opinion about how one’s life should be lived, and what a person should or shouldn’t do.
It doesn’t mean you have to adopt someone else’s perspectives. It simply means listening and hearing each other and deciding what feels best for you.
When you’re dealing with a closed mind, try to reverse it by asking more questions.
Do I really know that well? Is there any other way?
If you find yourself confused, that’s a good sign.
It means you can open your mind and see what’s waiting outside.
Explore other ideas, find unique connections, and take what feels best for you.
Sometimes you don’t need more knowledge
Are you cramming more and more information in your head without ever stopping to actually use it?
Do you keep reading more books because of the knowledge you think it gives you?
Well, in reality, reading itself won’t teach you much unless you dig deeper into the concepts. To get more out of every book you read, start asking questions to distill the lessons, take notes and apply those lessons to your life.
You can always learn and know more but without implementing that knowledge it’s only another type of procrastination.
While reading, you’re feeling busy and productive.
In reality, it’s your mind trying to trick you into thinking that way, because it enjoys being entertained.
Busyness is never the answer. It’s the opposite.
There are times when you have so much in your head that you don’t know which piece of information to pull.
What you need in these situations is clarity.
But how do you clarify what you already have in your mind?
Probably the best way to find the knowledge gaps you may have is to share what you already know and teach others.
As John C. Maxwell said: “You never really know something until you teach it to someone else”.
Another great way to gain clarity over your knowledge is to find what’s missing.
If you’re constantly learning more and more about the same topic or find yourself always immersed in podcasts or youtube — stop.
Get a piece of paper or a laptop and write the topic you’re learning. Then list everything you already know and could explain to someone else.
This exercise will give you clarity on what’s missing.
It will help you find all the areas you need to focus on.
And with that, you’ll be able to deepen your knowledge by focusing on learning what you don’t already know.
Final thoughts
Embrace the knowledge you already have, but never stop looking for other perspectives of that what you know.
Every time you have a chance to learn, try to imagine that you’re learning it for the first time.
Discard all the fixed opinions and seek new discoveries.
Adopting a beginner’s mindset opens doors for more possibilities that can lead you to unexpected places.
Different concepts and ideas can make unique connections.
But you can’t see or find them if you close your mind.
Break free from the trap by keeping your mind open.
Thank you for reading!
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