Ignorance is a self fulfilling prophecy

26 November, 2009

Well I'm coming to the end of my epic 19 day journey through the United States and for those who know me, you can only imagine the volume of information that has passed through my mind. With all the usual excitement of travel and the visiting of new places, I'd say my trip has been just what the doctor ordered and it has opened my mind and my heart significantly to urge me to do more and be more in every aspect of my life.

But how did I learn this about myself? Well in one of my books I brought with me, I found an interesting passage discussing the ineffectiveness of 'self-help'. Essentially the book was discussing that we tend to try and remedy our lives with our own limited experience, ability and ignorance. Kind of like trying to whack in a nail with the end of your shoe - because that's all you know, so that's what you'll do. It goes on to say that we have been coached by society to be afraid of the unknown, to stiffen that upper lip and to be driven by pride and ego.

You get what you ask for

Yet at some point we may need to extend, reach out and ask for help - to people we don't know. Ask for directions, ask for advice, ask a complete stranger to man-handle my SLR to take a blurry picture of me and not run off into the bushes with it. By asking, I've made some wonderful friends along the way and had access to areas I would have never found on my own. By asking, I've experienced the support, generosity and love of the American people and it has enhanced and further developed my opinion of their culture.

Friends

But would have I known this, learned this and drawn my own educated conclusion if I stayed at home in Brisbane and made my decisions based on crap TV and someone's opinion? Would have I experienced this even if I walked around the streets alone and never sparked a conversation and asked for help?

Do you really know or just what you were told?

No I didn't get mugged when walking through NYC alone at 1am, no, people were patient, polite and very helpful (to the point one nice lady drove me to my hotel from the airport) and no, my arteries haven't exploded from the high fat, high salt, high sugar diet because well, I chose not to eat it - all the time.

So why did I travel to the USA on my own despite warnings from people about terrorists, muggings and heart disease? Well it comes back to worldview. Can I really make a decision on a culture of a country with only 3rd party piece information? Can I really be a savvy worldly communicator if all I know is my own? Can I really offer 'world class services' if my world is a 2000km radius? Highly unlikely. So why did I think I could?

Ignorance means isolation and exclusion

Like anyone else, I made the best decision based on the information I had at the time. After three weeks here and despite my pride, I admit that I was ignorant about the USA and with this additional information it is certain my worldview will change. As a result, my beliefs will change along with my opportunities, my actions and my results.

So it got me thinking - why are people so afraid to extend, try something new and risk changing their worldview? Is it money? It is failure? Is it that they don't have the courage?

What if something as crazy as asking a complete stranger in a foreign country out to dinner was the solution to your problem? After all, you don't know who they are, what they do and how they could help you without taking the chance to ask.

Don't be ignorant - ask, try and learn. Otherwise you just end up looking stupid whilst maintaining your right of way.