“If you have knowledge, let others light their candles at it.”
– Margaret Fuller (May 23, 1810 – July 19, 1850)
Where did you light your candle of knowledge? Are you lighting the candles of knowledge of others? Watch this video to find out more or read the transcript below.
When I read that saying, it struck me because it made me think about where the knowledge that I have came from, how I got it, how I obtained it, what’s the source of it? The conclusion that I came to, especially after reading that saying, was that any knowledge that I have came from someone else. You say how can that always be? I learned things on my own! You did but where did you learn it from? Was it a book? Was it a teacher? Was it from watching someone else do something and you learned how to do it? Or you saw someone speak or you’re listening to someone speak and you gain knowledge and information from that?
Everything that we’ve experienced, everything that we’ve learned, originated from another individual. So, I think the power in that saying of, “If you have knowledge, let others light their candle at it”, puts a responsibility on all of us to take what we have and what we know, especially those of us that have been around longer than some of the younger ones — and no gray hair jokes that! That’s off limits! (jk)
Really, though, the knowledge that we all individually gain, I think, we gain with the responsibility to share it again later — because knowledge is not a fixed sum. We don’t have just a fixed sum of knowledge that we can share. It multiplies! When we teach something, well actually when we learn something, we’re additive to the knowledge base but when we teach others, it gets multiplied. Whether that’s through direct teaching, whether that’s through example, whether that’s through sharing, whether that’s just how you do what you do and others see that, you model it.
So, it was very empowering when I read that quote. I think, in a simple way, that encapsulates the whole purpose behind what I’m trying to do with these little videos (and this blog). I don’t have much to offer but what I have to offer, I want to offer.
So, I’d love to hear your point of view. Send me a message, comment on the video (or this blog post). Let me know what you think. Do you think it makes sense? Do you think that knowledge is a fixed sum game, opposite of what I was saying that it multiplies? Or, if you believe there’s another way of gaining knowledge let me know. I’d love to hear it. It’d be interesting to see.
Until we meet again, have a great one! God Bless!
Bye!
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