I think that there can never be enough attention to better modes of transmission of information. The ideal is effective transmission of knowledge that also leads to beneficial action. Where the line between knowledge and action, or the ‘information-action ratio’, lies can depend so much on personal circumstances that there might not be a one-size fits all solution. Still, once in a while an idea that is thrown out there cuts through the noise of a handful of people’s perceptions and tips the balance in favour of action.
Sometimes I feel that there are lines slowly being formed in the new paradigm of our ever more digitally-powered way of living. This line is what draws the boundaries between ‘I need to know more’, ‘I don’t know enough’, and ‘This would be beautiful if it was possible. Let’s try’.
Enough of cultivating ourselves to be as useful as possible minus knowing what we want to achieve in the world outside of credentials, in the hopes of employability that just open up more possibilities in the same purposeless path. We can do much better. What about cultivating yourself to learn how to choose meaningfully, how to understand what’s important and what can be better in the world? Learn how to listen to what is deep in your heart and then decide to learn how to do it? The other way around is trickier, learning how to do everything you don’t care about to stumble upon the thing that you could be excelling at because of your dedication to it is not easy. It’s tedious and just wasteful.
Guido, the main character from the beautiful Fellini film 8 1/2 encapsulates this longing for the simplicity that comes with finding meaning in this quote:
“Tu saresti capace di piantare tutto e ricominciare la vita da capo? Di scegliere una cosa, una cosa sola e di essere fedele a quella? Riuscire a farla diventare la ragione della tua vita, una cosa che raccolga tutto, che diventi tutto proprio perché la tua fedeltà che la fa diventare infinita. Ne saresti capace? Ecco ascolta se io ti dicessi, Claudia…“
“Would you be capable of ditching everything and start life anew? Of choosing one thing, only one thing and be faithful to it? Succeed in making it become your life’s mission, something that encompasses everything, that could become everything because it’s your faithfulness that makes it become infinite. Would you be able? Look, what if I told you, Claudia…”
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