The Wondrous Humility of the Unknown

Oct 21
Photo by NASA Hubble Space Telescope on Unsplash
Now and then I kick back and smugly think I’ve figured it all out. What’s meant by “all” is questionable. But if I’ve figured out anything this year, it’s that there is so much to know, one lifetime and one mind isn’t enough. Learning is a team effort.

When interviewing experts in science and other disciplines, I’m struck by their humility. Most are constantly calling out the work of others with appreciation, indicating that a body of knowledge is built in pieces and layers across thinkers and time. Advances in science and technology boost the speed and breadth of research, but of course that technology was also ideated and developed by people, some of whom may not have realized the potential application of their invention in certain fields. We often don't know the downstream impact of our actions.
One of my first jobs was in a rare book vault. I spent my working hours navigating long aisles with a rolling cart, shelving everything from dusty tomes to small Asimov paperbacks. The vault was huge to my eyes, yet took up less than half the library floor. You’d think it would have dawned on me then that I knew very little.

Maybe it did, because I quickly dropped out of school to work with my hands and travel on a shoestring, desperate to understand what this world is and how to live beyond the constraints of my culty upbringing. And now here I am, embarking once more on a journey of discovery, buoyed and supported by the brilliant minds of kind people who have not only dedicated years of their lives going deep into lines of inquiry, but are glad to share what they’ve discovered with the rest of us. I've learned so much from their work, and I'm so appreciative.

I wonder if the ultimate purpose of learning is to discover, then share. I can’t seem to hold knowledge inside for very long; it wants to bubble out, cascading over my family, my neighbors, and anyone willing to listen. I’m amazed by this knowledge, humbled by what I didn’t know before today and what I might learn tomorrow. The unknown is a wondrous place.
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