From Whom are We Not Learning Today?

I don't know everything; well, that could in fact be a very proud thing to say. So, let me come again. What I know is very little, if anything; I don't have any idea whatsoever, about most things, events, people or ideas. Neither can I ever hope to know more than a little more of what I already know at present. 

In my view, if you are like most people, you would realize that I am in no unique position. You may find that you too are in the same 'knowledge state' I have described above. In fact, you could be asking: isn't the above too obvious, to even merit a mention? We may possess a deep and broad knowledge and experience; but surely, all of us know that what we can rightfully count as our knowledge base is arguably infinitesimally small, in relation to the vast ocean of knowledge that can be explored. Don't we? 

How Much Do We Know How Little We Know?

Yes, I too think that the fact we know little should be obvious. We tend to believe it is obvious. And this precisely is a major hindrance to our learning and development, in my humble assessment. 

Let me explain what I mean. We take many things for granted. And this is required too, to some extent. Our parents' love, for example. An orderly and peaceful life demands that we trust our parents unconditionally, that we do not begin to question their love for us every day, from first principles. In this sense, it may be obvious to us that our parents love us.

However, our very belief that this is obvious could make us overlook its significance and even its existence! We may end up completely forgetting our parents' love for us, precisely because we believe it is obvious to us that they love us. An exaggerated belief in the obviousness of the visible thus shifts it into the realm of the invisible, where it is anything but obvious!

In much the same fashion, a mistaken confidence in the littleness of our knowledge can make us blind to the true extent of its humility. A belief that we sure know we know little, can lead us to an exaggerated conception of our little knowledge. It can make our precious little knowledge appear bigger than it actually is; it can make us believe that our vast ocean of ignorance can all be accommodated in a small pond in our backyard.

Ignorance: Get, Set, Go!

For those of us striving to expand our knowledge base (which most likely includes both you and me), no time in history has perhaps been as exciting as today.  Technology, in particular the World Wide Web, has perhaps been the most important factor that has resulted in the changed dynamic. Like most changes in life, this shift too presents us with challenges and opportunities. 

The huge opportunity lies in the democratization of the learning process. The World Wide Web is a Global University now. As Internet and smart devices becomes more affordable to more people, this would hold good even for those at "the bottom of the pyramid". So yes, the opportunity to learn is much more than ever before.

Now, the challenge. The new digital age, as well as broader shifts in global and local societies, has heightened our collective and individual aspirations, needs and avenues to work towards those needs. This has contributed to an exponential increase in the quantity, range and scope of knowledge that is being produced in an accessible form. The rate of knowledge production is phenomenal, even in terms of the number of new disciplines that are taking birth. The conclusion: there is so much much more to learn now.

If this is correct, we can say that, on a relative basis, we all become progressively more ignorant - every single moment! 

This begs the question: what is the way out? What are we to do? I cannot pretend to be able to offer a solution; I would however like to share something I have learnt from my reading, listening and reflection.

The Power of Learning from Others

Most learning is social; it happens in an ecosystem. Climbing on the shoulders of giants, as well as riding with minnows, is a very essential component of all learning worth its name. It has always been so. 

However, the tendency to overestimate our knowledge, and the challenge to keep oneself updated in a fast-moving world, makes this all the more important. In a world where more people have access to more knowledge from more sources, the lost opportunity in not learning from others can be phenomenal! And the advantage gained by being and becoming a good Student of Life - open and eager to embrace knowledge from all quarters in all situations - can be terrific and enduring. An example from the digital world: employees with a diverse Twitter network have been found to be able to generate better ideas, according to a study by MIT Sloan School of Management.

An Inspiring Example of An Expert Student of Others

This whole post has been inspired by one of my senior colleagues (whose name I am not mentioning, lest I embarrass him). A Whatsapp discussion in our professional group prompted him to share his experience of working in a communication organization. An edited excerpt below 

I learnt from seniors ...

I learnt from my batchmate ...

I learnt from my juniors ...

I learnt a lot from ...

I learnt from ...

I learnt from ... I still keep learning from some of them...

But what I learnt above all, is that in ..., hierarchies and categories become irrelevant.

There are only roles that we are assigned. 

We must perform our assigned role to the best of our ability.

I found it very inspiring to note that the officer - someone who is highly regarded and respected in our professional community, for his competence, commitment and professionalism - has indeed been a very keen student of every single person and situation. It seems to me that he is an active learner, who regards every interaction as an opportunity for learning, growth and development, and an opportunity to make a positive contribution. I am inclined to believe that this has been one very important factor that has helped him to be as successful as he has been.



His story makes me reflect painfully, on the thousands of opportunities I have foregone, in learning actively from others. At the same time, the millions of opportunities that are still up for grabs give me hope.

So yes, learning from others - better and faster - is one way to catch up with the knowledge explosion. 

The Age of Collaboration

We can also take heart from the fact that we - you and me - don't need to be so smart, after all! We need to look more at smart organizations, smart communities, smart nations and smart world - not so much a smart individual. 

As economist Tim Harford says in the 2011 book "Adapt", the demands of the modern world and the complexity and enormity of the problems we face can be addressed only by tapping into a vast range of social, financial, psychological and intellectual capital - a capital that resides often in multiple organizations and industries, let alone in one individual. The ability to collaborate has become the new competitive advantage. 

Of course, this is not a license for being dumb or for embracing complacency; it could however, be soothing to think that collective smartness is the more important need of the age. I can hence be ignorant of X, if we all agree that you, dear reader, are there to take care of it! :)

The Value of Ignorance

I would like to close by highlighting the immense positive power of ignorance. Ignorance is an oft-overlooked asset that can be a key driver of innovation, at the level of both individuals and organizations. So we can take heart: there is indeed a light at the end of tunnel. 

Learning Why, What and How to Learn

Closing with a thought on the skills we need to acquire, in the new 'glocalized' world. I believe a relentless search for what to learn is essential. This needs to be coupled with an iterative refinement of the how, as well as a reflective inquiry into the why of learning. These were the last points, in a presentation I got to give, to Officer Trainees of my service.

Coming back to the officer we talked about, leaving you (and me) with a question: 

From Whom are We Not Learning Today?

Stopping here. Have more to say on this, especially on the last point; keeping it for another day.

Thank you for your patient attention. Please tell me (in the comments or by email) if you have any comments/views on this; you are also welcome to 'share' the post. 

Thank you very much.

- Dheep

August 13, 2017

(dheepjoym@gmail.com, @DheepJoy)