DISTANT LANDS

August 15th, 2019

Everyone has destinations in mind that they’d love to visit for the first time.  It’s a new experience and everyone hungers to find out a little more, particularly first hand, being there.

Compare this with other experiences that we may or may not have.  Learning some difficult thing for example. 

Oh, that’s not for me!

But have you tried it?

I just know it’s not my thing.

How can anyone hold on to such hypotheticals with so much certainty without having a full experience to confirm or deny?

Let’s say it’s rocket science, computer engineering, or oil painting, or rock climbing.

It’s not hard to find a person who would shirk at the mention of trying any if not all of these activities.

How different would it be if we were guaranteed to be really good at it the moment we start trying to do one of these activities?

Well, in that case, most people would feel differently, and instantly point out the impossibility of this fictional premise.

But if we remember all those distant exotic lands that we’d like to visit, we somehow over look the crowded airplane, the crap food, the traffic and panic on the way to the airport, the missed layover, the over booked flight, the reservation that vanishes upon arrival… 

Enjoying those distant lands always requires some amount of aggravation to get there.

And how is that any different from getting good at something difficult?

Learning is – inherently – an uncomfortable and confusing experience.

The moment we understand something well enough to demonstrate that knowledge, we are no longer learning in that specific respect.  In order to continue learning, we must move on to new territory that is again, uncomfortable and confusing.

The key to starting that process is asking a good question. 

One that sets our mind off on a new quest.

The episode relates to Episode 390: Question about the Question.