One of the most important rules in
life is never to take things at face value. That is, do not adhere
blindly to everything that your boss, professor, agent or even
parents say!
In this day and age where
information is easily accessible, it is of greater importance that
we learn how to assimilate the information we acquired. The key is
to absorb information, with
prudence.
Firstly, there is only that
much that one knows. Whatever a person tells you about a
subject, there is surely someone out there who knows more than him
and someone who knows less. It is rather unlikely, if not
inconceivable, that you would get to know someone who knows
everything more than everyone else. There is a limit to what a
person knows.
The knowledge that one acquires,
might be through personal experience and involvement. As time goes
by, a certain set of values and attitudes might be ingrained in him
such that he feels strongly for. As a result, the knowledge that he
has might be more applicable for his context and has a higher
degree of relevance to him. His level of comprehension would rely
significantly on his own perceived experience. For instance, a way
that he finds useful for solving problems might not be necessarily
your preferred approach or even work for you. Fundamental beliefs
are the foundation which governs how a person looks at everything
else. Two people with different fundamental beliefs will see and
interpret everything else differently from each
other.
Back home, parents with
well-meaning intentions, by offering their own set of solutions to
your existing problems might not always be the best way. Certain
things might have worked well for them in the past which got them
to where they were, but in this fast changing world, the only
constant that we have now is change. On average, more than half the
knowledge that were taught to university students in their first
year gets outdated two years after they graduate. We can no longer
rely on traditional methods to solve existing problems. Being
adaptable and flexible in our approach to new situations is an
added advantage in order to keep abreast of
changes.
In the corporate setting, the most
practical way for an individual to learn is to be introspective
enough to realize that one will never have all the answers and that
the counsel of others within the organization is vital as well.
Often, success in an organizational context emerges from a
complex interplay of the various resources with the external
environment. While the leader or manager may be a significant
component, it is dangerous for everyone to always adhere to what
they advocate. There is also the potential danger of Hubris
manifesting within the leader which is categorized by exaggerated
pride and self-confidence that may be detrimental to the
organization’s objectives. Therefore, the best way to learn and
work within most organization is to establish cultural norms
that encourage membership to disagree without being disagreeable.
“Groupthink” may do good for situations that require immediate
decisions but not necessary so in the long run. To combat the
limitations of groupthink, the organization could be composed of
members with diverse backgrounds as well as functional areas. But
this alone may not be sufficient. Members must also have the
integrity and courage to argue for alternatives that differ from
those desired by the senior executives.
Secondly, there is only
that much that someone would tell you. Let’s assume we
have someone who is at the top of his industry. He could be the
chief engineer, top lawyer or a renowned doctor. Do their words
necessary hold more weight than others every single
time?
Remember, there are people out
there who would tell you only what they want you to hear. Like it
or not, most humans have an agenda to what they are doing. Even if
they don’t, these people might be limited by possible time
constraints to share the whole complete picture with you, as much
as they might want to. They could only explain the general
situation to you at best.
Just like in law, there are always
exceptions to every rule. What they advise you to do, might apply
only to the general situation, but it might not always be the case.
If possible, do seek a second opinion to prevent any possible
biasness from just a single source and increase the reliability of
the information.
Also, an important factor which
affects how much someone is willing to share his
expertise with you depends on how receptive you are to the
knowledge. For instance, some successful people are only willing to
share their experiences and knowledge only to a
person who demonstrates humility and has the desire for
learning. They are only interested in helping people who are
willing to help themselves.
Lastly, the best often think
differently from the way most people out there would think. To
learn to become the best, one must start to think opposite of
conventional wisdom. What seems like the ‘right’ thing to do for
most people might not always be the best way. Those that do
things apart from the average in the right manner, are
the ones who get exceptional results. That is why there is a need
for us to defy consensus reality for the purpose of achieving that
which is far above the expectation of the norm. The
mentality of the best is not like the
rest.
Bear in mind that while it is
good to learn from the best out there, chances are they will
only be able to teach you according to the level which they have
attained. The very same mentality that sets them above
those who are below them is also the same mentality that limits
them. In those instances where you want to
achieve above their level, you must know be able to identify
and reject the very areas that limit them and move beyond. You
must transcend their limited way of thinking.
To sum it all up, I would end off
with a quote given by William
Saroyan- ‘Every man in the world is better than someone and
not as good as someone else.’ Be always open to new
information from different sources on the same subject matter and
allow prudence, to direct you whether these new knowledge should be
absorbed or done away with.
Article Written by Mr.
Ng
makes sense. want to train me i don't need it waste my time.
when i need formal trainging i will request of it. so take the
years of so called experience off my ear shot. u spend years in a
position maybe a fraction of thge time doing job most of the time
tok rot and go for meals and restaurant oinly (that's why u seem so
good with where to eat what shit while i may only spend one year in
a job and can make full use of the time i learn all the things and
outshone in any situation than u can. when i eat i realise i only
need to eat to live. so u think u know lots of ppl ppl just see u
like clown only u thingk u very good? the door waiting for u u can
go look for a job stopp bothering me.
