What is the most important thing you have learned?
February 7, 2017 10:57 AM Subscribe
As you've been knocked around through life you've probably picked up some insight. You've had a unique life, with unique challenges. Maybe you've managed to distill some of that down into a basic idea, or even a few basic ideas that have made life easier for you, or solved some thorny on-going problem.
Maybe you studied something that opened up your view of the world and gave you a new way of analyzing things. Maybe you had a mentor that taught you something, a key word, a key idea, a mindset that has helped you go forward when you might otherwise have floundered. What was it?
Examples: My aunt told me that bookkeeping was the skill that ensured she was employable and could keep her family afloat wherever she was and whenever she needed a fallback to bring money in. Career skills are one type of answer, but so are life skills, like learning to find your way home, or learning how to tell if a situation is risky or not.
"Never let the sun go down on your anger" is a classical rule for living; so is "Never take your marriage partner for granted". Another one is "Don't take yourself so seriously." And another one is "Sleep on every big decision."
I'm looking for the answers that could be learned and applied by anyone, but I am also looking for answers that are individual to you, something that probably wouldn't even apply to most other people. An example of this is my own, "Never fight for anything." If I lose I end up regretting that I even tried to fight for the thing I failed to gain, but if I win I end up with such strong negative feelings about the thing I won that I don't want it anymore. For me many things are worth enduring, and many things are worth working towards, but nothing is worth fighting for.
So general answers and personal answers both will be good. Bonus points if you explain why the particular thing that you learned is so significant that it stands out.
Maybe you studied something that opened up your view of the world and gave you a new way of analyzing things. Maybe you had a mentor that taught you something, a key word, a key idea, a mindset that has helped you go forward when you might otherwise have floundered. What was it?
Examples: My aunt told me that bookkeeping was the skill that ensured she was employable and could keep her family afloat wherever she was and whenever she needed a fallback to bring money in. Career skills are one type of answer, but so are life skills, like learning to find your way home, or learning how to tell if a situation is risky or not.
"Never let the sun go down on your anger" is a classical rule for living; so is "Never take your marriage partner for granted". Another one is "Don't take yourself so seriously." And another one is "Sleep on every big decision."
I'm looking for the answers that could be learned and applied by anyone, but I am also looking for answers that are individual to you, something that probably wouldn't even apply to most other people. An example of this is my own, "Never fight for anything." If I lose I end up regretting that I even tried to fight for the thing I failed to gain, but if I win I end up with such strong negative feelings about the thing I won that I don't want it anymore. For me many things are worth enduring, and many things are worth working towards, but nothing is worth fighting for.
So general answers and personal answers both will be good. Bonus points if you explain why the particular thing that you learned is so significant that it stands out.
This post was deleted for the following reason: Sorry, this is so broad that it can't help but be chatfilter. If you want to try narrowing it a bit, hit us up at the contact form in the next hour or so. -- LobsterMitten
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