You Don't Know Sh.t
It is a disease we all suffer from. Some of us are very quick to point it out in others but find it impossible to recognize it in ourselves. We sometimes call them know-it-alls. We all tend to not know what we don't know. Better stated, we all think we know more than we do, myself included.
The theory is that this mindset is an evolutionary construct that helps us to overcome those challenges we face when we would normally not be able to do so. The power of our minds and how we think is so grossly misunderstood and new things about mindsets are still being discovered today. We are more capable of what we believe and are currently doing in whatever field we apply this to. Our challenge lays in pushing our boundaries and committing to the process of mastery in whatever it is we want to master. This is impossible to do if we believe we already know what we don't know. Actively learning is our way of stepping out.
Learning is a gateway to neural plasticity. Neural plasticity is a term used to describe the actual physical changes that occur in the brain when we learn something new. These changes also occur when we have novel experiences, create new memories, or visualize new futures.
A colleague of mine was perplexed about a student of his who wrote such a mediocre college admissions essay when his grade point average and SAT scores were off the charts excellent. The answer was very simply, this student didn't work hard enough on writing a good essay. This hard working and intelligent student didn't put the necessary time into his essay as he did his other academic pursuits. He overestimated his writing ability and it suffered for this reason.
We all do this to varying degrees all the time. What's worse, if we are well versed in a field or even an expert in something, we have a tendency to believe that this expertise is fungible and is carried over to other areas. This makes that gap of not knowing what we don't know even greater.
The first step is humility. It is ok to acknowledge that we don't know something. If fact, it is necessary if we are to commit to learning. Make a commitment to learning as much you can about something that interests you, that you are passionate. Create mastery and know that this takes time. I am continuously working to become a better writer, I continuously work to become a better person. I work diligently to be the best emotional and physical version of myself that I can be day in and day out understanding that it is a process that requires continual accumulation of knowledge and working to apply that knowledge in my life. This is important to me because I believe it leads to optimal experiences in life.
Even with this mindset and approach I get caught in my own biases of not knowing what I don't know but at times it's easier to catch myself doing so. There is an understanding and freedom that comes with this and it truly is the first step towards us being the best versions of the people we can be. Next time you react to argue or debate a position on something, take a deep breath and ask yourself if you really know what you think you know. Your answer may surprise you.
#elliotyi
#paradigmleft
#habits
#mindset
The theory is that this mindset is an evolutionary construct that helps us to overcome those challenges we face when we would normally not be able to do so. The power of our minds and how we think is so grossly misunderstood and new things about mindsets are still being discovered today. We are more capable of what we believe and are currently doing in whatever field we apply this to. Our challenge lays in pushing our boundaries and committing to the process of mastery in whatever it is we want to master. This is impossible to do if we believe we already know what we don't know. Actively learning is our way of stepping out.
Learning is a gateway to neural plasticity. Neural plasticity is a term used to describe the actual physical changes that occur in the brain when we learn something new. These changes also occur when we have novel experiences, create new memories, or visualize new futures.
A colleague of mine was perplexed about a student of his who wrote such a mediocre college admissions essay when his grade point average and SAT scores were off the charts excellent. The answer was very simply, this student didn't work hard enough on writing a good essay. This hard working and intelligent student didn't put the necessary time into his essay as he did his other academic pursuits. He overestimated his writing ability and it suffered for this reason.
We all do this to varying degrees all the time. What's worse, if we are well versed in a field or even an expert in something, we have a tendency to believe that this expertise is fungible and is carried over to other areas. This makes that gap of not knowing what we don't know even greater.
The first step is humility. It is ok to acknowledge that we don't know something. If fact, it is necessary if we are to commit to learning. Make a commitment to learning as much you can about something that interests you, that you are passionate. Create mastery and know that this takes time. I am continuously working to become a better writer, I continuously work to become a better person. I work diligently to be the best emotional and physical version of myself that I can be day in and day out understanding that it is a process that requires continual accumulation of knowledge and working to apply that knowledge in my life. This is important to me because I believe it leads to optimal experiences in life.
Even with this mindset and approach I get caught in my own biases of not knowing what I don't know but at times it's easier to catch myself doing so. There is an understanding and freedom that comes with this and it truly is the first step towards us being the best versions of the people we can be. Next time you react to argue or debate a position on something, take a deep breath and ask yourself if you really know what you think you know. Your answer may surprise you.
#elliotyi
#paradigmleft
#habits
#mindset
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