Another way to put is, if you're right, you're not wrong. Simple, but profound when applied to ones approach to life. I assume that as a finite being with finite understanding that part of everything I do is wrong. This means that there is always room to improve.
In first grade I new a kid who said he knew everything. He sat in a corner working at the only computer in the room. His math book was huge and I don't doubt that he knew more complex math than I did at the time. That's not to say I wouldn't have been able to understand it. You see, after boasting that he knew everything I asked him why he was there. That confused him. So, I explained that obviously a person who knows everything has no reason to be in school learning anything, as they already know everything. He wasn't pleased with me.
In that situation he yields to the teacher, but was not willing to yield to other students. He assumed the teachers knew more than him and that the other students couldn't measure up. Thus, anything on school subjects had to come from a teacher, not another student. When this belief was confronted in some way, he got mad, rather than concede the point, yield. Later he may have yielded to the reality of the situation, but not to the student who pointed it out.
That may not be the best example, but if you think back on how you were thinking when you made progress learning you should see the pattern. There is overcoming an obstacle in which you yield to the problem and the reality of the situation that how you were doing things was in some way lacking, motivating you to try harder, or try something new. There is also yielding to an instructor or adviser who you think might have something useful to say. If you won't listen, their words aren't as effective.
Sometimes there will be improvement in spite of unyielding pride. That's why the title says pride "inhibits" learning, because that's what it does. Belief in yourself can bolster you hope, and thus your motivation and effort. Refusal to stop trying and putting out effort to improve is dedication. Both are confused as part of pride, since they come in groups sometimes. However, pride says, "I'm better than you/them." This means not accepting help, guidance, advice or reminders. This means you are more likely to make mistakes. Learning from your own mistakes is good, but learning the mistakes of others is better. However if you are prideful you might refuse to implement something because somebody told you to do it.
All in all it is better to be humble and value the work above your pride. That's what I've found.
Have fun, spread the word and tell me what you think,
Igen Oukan
View Blog Reactions
1 comments:
I fully agree with the concept. Pride is limiting in the way it justifies an end to learning. Pride espouses one has learned enough when one knows more than anyone else.
This is a fallacy in that learning cannot be qualified or quantified. It cannot be qualified because there is no true value on anything learned; it is either meaningful or meaningless, it is not worth anything. Also, it cannot be quantified because there is no accurate method to measure learning or intelligence for that matter.
Pride is a lie that limits our potential to learn and discover. Our world is plagued with it and many societies and cultures practice and glorify it in schools, churches, homes, businesses... everywhere.
Post a Comment