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.