Perks of ‘Acting’ as the ‘Greatest Fool’ in the Room
By acting like a fool, you will end up being the wisest of all.
Do you know how many lessons have we missed out in life by acting as the smartest person in the room?
By shutting down our brain to learn anything new from anyone?
Often, we get caught in the web of our boastful thoughts about ourselves.
I know everything about everything!
My way is the only way & the right way!
When we achieve something in life, of course, that deserves all the applause but getting that to our heads, that’s a sign of warning!
We tend to get so lost in our vanity that it fogs our brains with arrogance. The mindset shifts from a learner to a learned person.
We stop putting in efforts to improve and ultimately lose the habit of learning. We get convinced by our brain that, ‘ I am the smartest person ’.
But you and I, both know that it’s not true. Even if you have become a billionaire or you are at the apex of your career, you can not know everything. There’s always something new to learn.
As they say,
A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.
— William Shakespeare
As we move ahead, I will share how we can make the most of life by just being fully present where we are.
The Perks of ‘acting’ as a ‘fool’
1. Interesting conversation
Often, while having a conversation, when the other person speaks we get lost in our thoughts. We hear what the other person has to say but in snippets.
This is because our mind has already made an assumption that this person has nothing valuable to offer!
This is the mistake we make. By having a pre-conditioned mindset towards people, we miss out on so many life lessons.
But now that you have realized that every person’s story has something valuable to offer, you will be more present in the conversation and enjoy it as well.
You never know, you might even find a solution to a never-ending conundrum!
2. Inquisitive mind
When you see opportunity in day-to-day things, your inquisitive mind develops. You will be interested in the what’s and how’s of a situation.
How did he solve this problem?
What was his lookout?
What methods worked for him?
How did he manage to get such a good role in his company?
You see there are numerous things to learn. You just need to know how to filter out the things pertinent to your situation and can even apply their experiences to your life.
3. Learn Humility
When you patiently and mindfully listen to other people’s stories without any presumptions attached, you learn humility.
Everybody wants to be heard and by actually listening to the other person, you are not only helping them but you are also developing one of the rarest qualities of today’s time, humility.
And needless to say, a humble person goes a long way.
4. Learn to respect other people’s journey
The person you are having a conversation with may be he has not achieved anything great in his life or he might be at the zenith of his career.
We often cloud our minds with trivial thoughts.
What has this person achieved in his life that he considers himself fit to advise me?
He/she is so successful, how is his/her journey relevant to mine?
Whatever the case may be, respect their journey. Don’t shut yourself to other people’s learnings.
You might learn from the novice about the ‘power of perseverance’ and the experienced one might teach you about ‘what mistakes not to make’.
Personalised Takeaways
- Value every person you meet. Try to learn from their mistakes.
- Never underestimate other people’s intelligence and experience. They might not have revealed their knowledge yet.
- Detach your personal experience/grudges with that person while learning anything about life.
- Don’t set any bar. A novice and an experienced person, both have valuable insights to share.
So don’t shut your doors to life’s everyday teachings as they make for a wonderful lesson. All we have to do, is to be a good learner and a good observer, and each day we can learn a new lesson.
Feel free to share your feedback in the comment section.
Spread Love & Peace!
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