There are lots of things I don’t know. I’m okay with that because I am not (a) an advanced artificial intelligence with all the world’s knowledge stored in my memory banks, (b) an idiot savant who remembers every single fact ever, or (c) the Library of Congress with books about every conceivable (and a few inconceivable – yes I do know what that word means) topics.
That’s what makes life fun is the learning of new things.
Unfortunately, there are a number of topics I think I have knowledge about that, it turns out, I am either misguided or completely wrong about. The problem with those topics is, I don’t actually know what they are until I am corrected.
Being shown the error of my ways can sometimes be embarrassing, but in general, is not something that bothers me. What DOES bother me is when I base decisions on incorrect information. Decisions that often prevent me from delving further into those topics.
For example, I had a fantastic conversation last night about a genre I know very little about. What I knew was based entirely on hearsay and innuendo. What I learned last night tells me unequivocally that the genre in question isn’t one I should shy away from.
Does that mean I should write in that particular genre? Not at all, but it also means I shouldn’t avoid reading it either. There is a lot more going on than I originally thought or gave it credit for. And that is where the missed opportunity exists for me. I really enjoy discovering new things because there is often something wondrous to be found. By avoiding it based on misconception, I’ve missed out on that possible discovery.
