It is to no profit to have learned well, if you neglect to do well. - Publilius Syrus
This quote was on today’s page of my diary. Yes, I still carry an actual physical diary in which I write my business appointments, because I actually like putting pen to paper. Don’t judge me. Anyway, back to the quote. It strikes a chord with me because I think it applies not only to formal learning, but also learning from one’s life experiences.
How does it profit you to experience certain fortunes and misfortunes, if you refuse to learn from those experiences and furthermore refuse to apply that knowledge to your future decisions and actions? The simple answer is that it doesn’t.
Sometimes we find ourselves in the same undesirable situations repeatedly, with seemingly no clue of how we end up in said situations. Every time the situation in question presents itself we are able to acknowledge and identify it, which suggests that SOME form of learning has occurred. Yet we seem to be unable to avoid the occurrence of the situation and incapable of managing it, if it does occur. Many of us, therefore, are neglecting to “do well” with our learning.
It may be worthwhile to reflect on a situation, large or small, that you are faced with repeatedly. If not a situation, then any pattern of behaviour that you exhibit or that you tolerate from others. Think then about what you know to be undesirable about the situation or behaviour and the effects of such.
Acknowledge that you have learned much of what there is to learn about it (oh goodness, I surely hope you have learned since it IS a situation that presents itself repeatedly) but that you just have not been putting that knowledge into practise insofar as preventing the situation and/or its effects.
Now resolve to do better.
Knowledge is power, but the non-application of knowledge is powerless. It is not enough to learn from an experience, one must put all that is learnt into future practice.
I hope you can draw as much from this as I have. I would love to hear your thoughts!