Don’t Fill your Cup up to the Brim
“I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.” — Winston Churchill
What happens when you try to fill in more tea or coffee in a cup which is already full up to the brim? The tea or coffee gets overflowed, right?
The same can happen to you while learning or trying to learn something new if you are already full of thoughts or beliefs.
When it comes to certain topics, a lot of us tend to think that we are very much knowledgeable in the topic and therefore we do not need to pay attention to what anyone else is saying about that topic.
If you are already too full of thoughts and beliefs that you are not allowing new information to find shelter in your mind, then you might end up finding yourself outdated.
Why is this important for you?
It’s always a better practice to keep your mind open to new information and ideas. It’s not possible for a single human being to know everything. Another person might have some point about the topic which you don’t know about.
What we often do out of ego, is that we either completely reject the fact presented by the other person or we don’t seem to care much about it. It’s not a matter of shame to be unaware of a certain topic. Like I said, it’s not possible for anyone to know everything.
Consider this for an example — I don’t have the habit of reading newspapers daily (which I would suggest that you do if you’re not doing already, and I am trying to develop this habit too), so, therefore, I am kind of unaware of certain situations that are happening around me.
When people ask me something about such a situation, one can often hear me say “I don’t know about it” and I would then inquire about the situation, provided it seems interesting to me.
“Knowledge is proud that it knows so much; wisdom is humble that it knows no more.” — William Cowper
However, it’s quite funny how many people would try to fake that he/she knows about the situation even if he/she doesn’t so that they don’t feel embarrassed. If you are doing this too, then you need to change this habit for your own good.
Now in the previous example, consider I had done the same and faked that I knew about the situation. Would that make me a genius or praiseworthy?
No.
Though faking might make me look like a knowledgeable person to the other person, but in reality, I would be just another guy who has lost the opportunity of learning something new just in fear of feeling embarrassed.
Why does this feeling of embarrassment arise?
It’s not because that you don’t know about a fact or situation. It’s because you fear that people might laugh or make fun of you just because you don’t know about it, isn’t it?
Well, some people might. However, there are many people who will help you getting knowledge about something which you don’t know.
So, the next time when you face such a situation, instead of hiding the fact that you don’t know about it and pretend that you are a Mr. Know-it-all, tell the person that you don’t know. Just admit it.
I can assure you that in most cases, you will be the one who will feel happy and will also gain some knowledge. Seize the opportunity, my friend.
Keeping your mind open and having the desire to learn new things can be beneficial for anyone.
“It is not that I’m so smart. But I stay with the questions much longer.” ― Albert Einstein
I am not asking you to blindly believe in what anyone (including me) says, but do try to listen to what people are saying and then decide whether you want to focus on that or believe that or not.
Use this simple method
If you are in a dilemma of whether or not to accept a fact, then you can try out the following simple method, which I follow.
- Listen carefully what the other person has to say.
- If you think that you don’t seem to agree with the other person’s views or you think he/she might be incorrect, try looking up for fact online or any reference you might get. Remember, Google search, Wikipedia and a whole lot of other web sites are always at your disposal to give you the answers to your question.
- If you are still unsure of the fact, or haven’t got enough information from the resources mentioned above, then try consulting a person who you think might have knowledge on that topic. Ask anyone you think might have an answer to your question.
- If you are convinced that the facts stated by the other person are correct, then learn those facts, else just stick to what you know or do more research on the topic, if you like. Also, you can help the other person in improving his knowledge by telling him/her about the correct facts.
There’s never an end to learning, and if you make it a habit to keep your mind open and have the urge to learn new things, this habit might prove to be really handy in your future.
Always remember my friend, the person in front of you might know a hell lot of things that you are unaware of.
So, instead of letting your ego or feeling of embarrassment take control over your mind, listen to the person’s viewpoints and try to learn from it and draw a conclusion that might help you get forward in your job and life.
Always keep your cup a little empty
To a better you,
Rahul
This article was originally published at rahulchowdhury.co
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