They say the greatest obstacle to learning is the illusion of knowledge – to think that you know when in fact you do not. I came across two instances recently.
You know that PSB is situated in S 32, which is a part of the village Jharsa. There are visitors to PSB who come for enquiries or teaching. For their convenience, we have prepared a document giving directions to reach PSB. Recently two lady visitors were to come to PSB for attending a programme. They were residents of Gurgaon. As is our practice, the administrative assistant asked for their email ids so that the Directions document could be sent to them. Like many before them, they declared confidently that they were familiar with Sector 32 and would not need the assistance of a map. When they did not turn up on time, I knew they had run into the maze that Sector 32 can become, especially when the sun is spitting fire. Sure enough, they rang up to ask for directions. They thought they knew the way, when in fact they knew the area, but not the way.
The second instance was from the workshop we conducted recently on the Seven Steps to Self Empowerment. There is a simple technique of Time Management that is taught to the participants. It is based on the real life story of Ivy Lee, who was paid an unbelievable fee of $ 25,000 in the 1920’s for teaching this simple technique to Charles Schwab, the first man in history to draw a salary of $ 1 million a year. All these things were explained to the participants all of whom had spent at least 15 years working. They were asked to practice it for a week. In the next session I asked if it helped them improve their time management. A learned participant stated that he had worked the priorities in his head and that there was nothing new in the technique. Obviously he had not practised the technique the way it was meant to be. Did he accomplish the most important improvement he had set for himself? No, he hadn’t found the time for it. I then asked him why Lee was paid a hefty fee of $ 25,000 for such a simple idea. Clearly, my friend had stopped learning in the belief that he already knew it. When he did practice later, he realised that the simple idea was really simple, but not easy.
“I know it already and “We have been doing it already” are two of the most common answers one gets when talking of new ideas. If these are genuine expressions, then it is a good thing. If not, the belief that I know could itself be the obstacle to learning. It is better to say, “I need to check what I know before I proceed.”
