Some people acquire knowledge but lack the humility, reflection and growth that can turn it into wisdom because their goal is to simply reinforce their current beliefs. They’re stuck working to find reasons to cement their thoughts, not trying to understand different ideas.

Examples of some comments:

• “I’ve looked on Twitter and found a lot of people who agree with me.”

• “Here are some research articles I found that support my point of view.”

• “I’ve chatted with several people who agree with me completely.”

It’s easy to find people or even research that agrees with one’s point of view – social media is particularly good at finding statements of agreement.

“Knowledge is learning something every day. Wisdom is letting go of something every day.”

Zen Proverb

Climbing that mountain of personal growth begins when our mind is open, working to broaden our knowledge base — perhaps even needing to change our understanding:

UNLEARNING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN LEARNING

• Unlearning something is often the most difficult part about keeping an open mind
• Seek to broaden your understanding rather than trying to deepen it.

SOCIAL MEDIA CANNOT BE YOUR LIBRARY

• Social media is an opinion platform — it is not a fact library.
• Unsubstantiated opinions are the norm, not the exception.

TAKE ADVICE FROM TRUSTED SOURCES

• There will always be someone willing to offer you their unsolicited opinion — be choosy on what you accept!
• The best advice comes from persons whom you value.

DON’T ARGUE WITH A PERSON SET ON WINNING AT ALL COSTS

• Move on.

YOUR VALUES ARE YOUR LEGACY

• Stay true to your values during the awkward or difficult times — it’s the most critical time to do so.
• Act consistently on your values and others will respect you for it.

As I push forward on my learning journey, I train my sights on learning, reflecting and growing. Perhaps it might work its way into wisdom at some point, but in the meantime, I’m enjoying the learning curve immensely.

After all — I don’t know very much.