A couple of weeks back, I passed a car with a license plate that read, “I Know.” For some reason this stood out to me.
I thought, “Hmmmmm, I wonder what they meant?” Did this individual have some answers to the world’s problems, to some of life’s eternal mysteries? Was this person indicating agreement with you, saying, “I know what you mean?”
My questions cannot be answered. But, then again, this driver already “knew” that because they know.
Those mental machinations of mine amused me for a bit, and I jotted down some thoughts to write this column, because what came to me afterwards is a bit about how many people today have hardened opinions and say “I know,” like it is “I know more than you do.” There’s a one-upsmanship with this concept.
Somebody watches a news program and after 17 seconds of images and 13 seconds of a voice-over by the announcer with no substantiating evidence, the viewer may come to believe they “know” what is going on regarding that issue, incident or policy. When they really don’t.
Instead, they don’t know. They’ve gotten a taste of what’s going, but that’s about it.
This past week, I was struck by a lengthy piece in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that revolved around the current status of illegal aliens committing crimes in the United States, how they are being pursued and deported, which agencies are responsible for which actions, where money is being funneled to address the issue, and so on. It was complex. It was lengthy reading. There was/is no quick and easy solution.
Instead, like most of life, what is going on regarding addressing illegal aliens committing crimes in the U.S. is very nuanced. Many steps are being taken. Progress is being made. But, many people don’t want to hear or acknowledge that.
More needs to be done, but rather than focusing on what positive steps can be taken next, dialogue tends to focus on “I know.” Political candidates in their desire to push your emotional buttons, boil issues until they singe your mouth. They burn you with short bursts of misleading or incomplete information that inflame viewers.
People rage. Their blood pressure rises. They point fingers. All because they “know” what is going on and someone else doesn’t.
Really, all this comes down to is the processing of information in our brain cells, and where that information comes from, and how accurate it is. The struggle today is taking the time and making the effort to dig in. Shovel all that data. Make sense of it.
We humans are emotional creatures. We don’t like to be wrong, much less admit we didn’t know what we thought we knew. How often have you admitted to a friend, colleague, neighbor or relative that you were wrong on something? Or, that you had incomplete information and you wanted to receive more before coming to a decision?
What typically happens, I believe, is the hair on the back of your neck stands up when we are challenged and we stick to, “I know.” Instead of, “Hmmmm, tell me more.”
I like not knowing things. Then I can ask questions and learn more. And that, fundamentally, leads to better decision-making.
I thought, “Hmmmmm, I wonder what they meant?” Did this individual have some answers to the world’s problems, to some of life’s eternal mysteries? Was this person indicating agreement with you, saying, “I know what you mean?”
My questions cannot be answered. But, then again, this driver already “knew” that because they know.
Those mental machinations of mine amused me for a bit, and I jotted down some thoughts to write this column, because what came to me afterwards is a bit about how many people today have hardened opinions and say “I know,” like it is “I know more than you do.” There’s a one-upsmanship with this concept.
Somebody watches a news program and after 17 seconds of images and 13 seconds of a voice-over by the announcer with no substantiating evidence, the viewer may come to believe they “know” what is going on regarding that issue, incident or policy. When they really don’t.
Instead, they don’t know. They’ve gotten a taste of what’s going, but that’s about it.
This past week, I was struck by a lengthy piece in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that revolved around the current status of illegal aliens committing crimes in the United States, how they are being pursued and deported, which agencies are responsible for which actions, where money is being funneled to address the issue, and so on. It was complex. It was lengthy reading. There was/is no quick and easy solution.
Instead, like most of life, what is going on regarding addressing illegal aliens committing crimes in the U.S. is very nuanced. Many steps are being taken. Progress is being made. But, many people don’t want to hear or acknowledge that.
More needs to be done, but rather than focusing on what positive steps can be taken next, dialogue tends to focus on “I know.” Political candidates in their desire to push your emotional buttons, boil issues until they singe your mouth. They burn you with short bursts of misleading or incomplete information that inflame viewers.
People rage. Their blood pressure rises. They point fingers. All because they “know” what is going on and someone else doesn’t.
Really, all this comes down to is the processing of information in our brain cells, and where that information comes from, and how accurate it is. The struggle today is taking the time and making the effort to dig in. Shovel all that data. Make sense of it.
We humans are emotional creatures. We don’t like to be wrong, much less admit we didn’t know what we thought we knew. How often have you admitted to a friend, colleague, neighbor or relative that you were wrong on something? Or, that you had incomplete information and you wanted to receive more before coming to a decision?
What typically happens, I believe, is the hair on the back of your neck stands up when we are challenged and we stick to, “I know.” Instead of, “Hmmmm, tell me more.”
I like not knowing things. Then I can ask questions and learn more. And that, fundamentally, leads to better decision-making.
