Which is more useful for getting ahead: a healthy dose of luck, or hard work? Which has played a bigger part in your life?
Share why if you wish.
Category: Success
Is More Knowledge Always Better?
Gaining knowledge is what has helped us succeed as a species. Are there circumstances, though, where ignorance is preferred?
Across the planet, different species fit a particular environmental niche. The native plants or animals tend to be adapted for the environment, to stay warm in cold temperatures, or have long necks to reach the tall trees, and so on.
Humans are, on paper, a middling species, at best. We’re not the strongest, or the fastest. By almost every measure, there is some other type of life form that is better.
One of the few exceptions has to do with gaining and retaining knowledge. We puzzle out why things work the way they do. That has led to a deeper, more comprehensive understanding of the world and how it works.
And once we learn something, we share it with others. We write it down, or speak it aloud as much and as far as we can. That combination, figuring stuff out and then telling everyone about it, has allowed our species to spread across the globe and thrive like few other animal species have.
Is knowledge, though, always a good thing? Once learned, it is not possible to unlearn something. Are there instances where knowing something is objectively, or subjectively, a bad thing?
For example, would we be better off not knowing how to make atomic weapons that could destroy the world several times over? On a more personal level, does it serve any benefit to learn that your co-worker makes significantly more money than you do? Or that your partner cheated on you years ago?
Can you think of things, from your own life or your imagination, where you have regretted learning something? Is more knowledge always a good thing?
Related questions: Does knowledge have inherent value? What can you learn from loss? Is faster better?
What Are Some Unusual Collaborations?
Following up on Sunday’s question about unusual collaborations, what are some of the notable ones that come to mind?
Share why if you wish.
What Makes Unusual Collaborations Work?
Human history is filled with collaborations, and some of those have been quite unusual. When two people who seem to have nothing in common make magic, why does it work?
In many ways, the story of humans is one of collaboration. What one relatively weak and unassuming individual cannot do, a group can accomplish relatively easily. Working together has made our species masters of the world.
Even now, this kind of collaboration can be seen everywhere. What is a company, after all, if not a group of individuals pooling their talents and efforts? Some are working on manufacturing, some on marketing, others on sales, and so on.
Some of the most obvious examples happen in music. It is easy to see that two (or more) musical artists are collaborating when they perform, and perhaps even write, a song together.
Some of these pairings or groupings can seem a little odd, but can actually produce beautiful music. It might not be obvious that, say, a country singer might perform with an Irish band. Or an elder statesman singer of standards would match up well with a young pop star.
While these musical collaborations are quite visible, they are not the exception. There are examples of unexpected team-ups throughout our society.
This should be too surprising, of course. After all, one of the benefits of collaboration is finding others who have skills, knowledge, or connections that you lack. This would naturally suggest unusual pairings or groupings.
What is it that can make an unusual pairing work, and what are some of the things that might cause that same pairing to fail? What are the ingredients for a good collaboration? And how might you use this information to choose who you want to work with?
Related questions: How can we encourage collaboration? Competition or collaboration? How does your personal life influence your work life?
Offense Or Defense?
Which is more important to an effective strategy, a good offense or a good defense?
Share why if you wish.
Offense Or Defense?