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Willingness to Learn. (08-2010)

We have all heard the saying that knowledge is power as it has been repeated a lot to the extent that it sounds more cliché.  One would expect that, by now, everyone jumps at the opportunity of gaining knowledge.  This is not always the case as some people use all excuses to stay away from acquiring knowledge and some take offense to suggestions that they need to learn more.

One of these instances of taking offense to knowledge acquisition relates to a story about one particular church where disagreements had ensued about the handling of a matter on more than one occasion.  One person suggested to the church leadership that an authority on the subject be invited to shed some light with the expectation that this would be  viewed as an opportunity for everyone to learn and put the uncertainties to rest once and for all.  To this person's surprise and frustration, this was viewed as an insult to the leadership.  In their collective minds, it appeared as a suggestion that they have to be schooled by others as they know nothing.  This was not being limited to the matter at hand but was viewed, by them, as undermining their knowledge of everything. 

For me this is a classic situation of being knowledge-averse and is an example of how pride can block a person from acquiring knowledge. Pride worries that you will be lowering yourself by admitting that there is something that you do not know and somebody else might have more knowledge than you.  I always appreciate people who, regardless of their positions at work and in the community, still seek ways of getting more knowledge as almost all the means of learning demand that one listens.  In the book "Capitalist Nigga" Chika Onyeani has a chapter with the title "Knowledge is power".  He encourages readers to learn from those who have accomplished a lot in business. His belief is that there might not be a need for "reinventing the wheel" as people have experimented with things before and the results are, in one way or another, documented.  Get hold of these and learn or talk to pioneers in different fields.  Your own ideas are not being undermined but tested alongside what other people know.  I know that when one undertakes academic research one of the things they've got to demonstrate is their grasp of debates around their topic of choice.  This calls for one to understand that knowledge have been developed and there are a lot of opinions around what you thought you will introduce to the world.  This then allows you to understand the knowledge-gaps that are there in your field of study and how you can contribute.  Arrogance and pride will lead to you thinking that you are the first ever person to think about or know anything about everything and as a result you will produce less-valued research.

It is for this quest of knowledge-generation and acquisition that I encourage children and adults alike to study.  Go to school not only because it will improve your chances of employment but also because there are many problems that still need solutions and you could provide these.  This all start by understanding what is out there and find a niche for yourself.   I once read somewhere that you can never become a good writer without reading.  Why must we read you when you are not prepared to read others?  This applies in every field of life in that those who succeed gained knowledge in that field.  The legendary founder of  Pick 'n Pay, Raymond Ackerman, writes in his book "The Four Legs Of The Table" about how he went to a retail store to work and learn how they do things when he had already made up his mind about owning a store.

The examples I have used above should clarify that I do not suggest that knowledge is only gained in a classroom. You also learn from people and experience is also very important.  As a proud African I also recognize the indigenous knowledge systems that have been passed along through oral tradition.  All these call for the willingness to seek knowledge and be willing to learn from life and others.

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