“Where is the Life we have lost in living? Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?”
– T. S. Eliot
Heavy stuff there, huh? I am reminded, though, of a mentor who looked at me in a presentation by one of my employees and said, “Heston, I keep asking him for information and all he gives me is data!” That was about 14 years ago, and my guess is that 1400 years ago humans were grappling with the loss of knowledge due to too much information. It sorta ties in with yesterday’s post, inasmuch as we really do need to test limits and challenge rules to move to new heights or see new “scenery.” What I read in Eliot’s words today was about maintaining balance between where we going and why we’ve chosen that destination.
When we have something special, how can we hang on to it, and still grow? When we develop a little wisdom, how can we remain humble with it? When we’re cramming for the test or prepping for the big presentation, are we leveraging our knowledge or simply filling up slides in the PowerPoint deck? Again, where are we headed, and why?
As Dad used to say, “No matter where you go, there you are…” and I’m often compelled to see how frequently we end up in the same, or at least similar places, no matter what we’re looking for. Dad and Eliot both said that better than I just did, and here is Eliot’s take, one of my favorites of all time:
“We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.”
Life, wisdom, knowledge — wrapping up a T. S. Eliot tribute week in The Daily Difference.
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