The Importance of Experience and Openness in Everyday Decisions
Over the weekend, I had a thought-provoking conversation with my uncle. We discussed how people reason and apply wisdom in their everyday lives. We both agreed that experience plays a vital role in shaping our decisions. As Ralph Waldo Emerson wisely said, "Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood." Yet, we also recognize that if experiences are not correctly applied, they can lead to poor judgment or even foolishness.
My uncle shared an encounter he had with a salesgirl at a store, which
vividly illustrated our discussion. He approached her to inquire about the
price of a pack of toilet rolls. She informed him that the pack, containing six
rolls, was priced at NGN4500. Curious, he then asked for the price of a single
roll, to which she responded NGN500.
Surprised by the discrepancy, my uncle pointed out that if one roll
costs NGN500, the total for six rolls should logically be NGN3000, not NGN4500.
However, the salesgirl disagreed, insisting that the pack was indeed NGN4500
while each individual roll was NGN500.
Rather than arguing further, my uncle decided to make a point. He asked
for a single roll, paid NGN500, then requested another, continuing until he had
purchased six rolls, totaling NGN3000. Afterward, the salesgirl offered him the
plastic bag used to package the rolls, still not grasping the inconsistency in
her pricing logic. Despite my uncle's efforts to explain, she remained adamant
that the pack was NGN4500 and each roll NGN500.
This encounter reminded me of an essential truth: it's dangerous to
become so fixated on our own knowledge that we close ourselves off to learning
from others. As Socrates once said, "The only true wisdom is in knowing
you know nothing." Many people are so blinded by what they think they know
that they refuse to consider alternative perspectives.
A shift in mindset is crucial. We must be willing to change our
attitudes, perspectives, and ways of thinking, especially when confronted with
new information. As individuals, we should adopt new beliefs, values, and
mental frameworks that can lead to personal growth, improved well-being, and
better problem-solving abilities. As Albert Einstein noted, "The measure
of intelligence is the ability to change."
No one is an island of knowledge. We must learn to see through others'
eyes, understand their opinions, and reason along with them. This too is part
of life’s experience. As we embark on a new week, let's commit to seeing things
from different perspectives and allowing this openness to inform our decisions
in life.
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