Don’t hesitate, drop the ego. You can’t be the learned authority with everything at every moment.

Authority is naturally generated from the person that has the greatest demonstrated depth of knowledge and experience. It is up to us to seek this authority, or not.

There are times we seek others knowledge with very little thought, such as a medical condition or a car that has broken down. We have no apparent issue under these conditions to give away this authority to a doctor or a mechanic. The ego is okay with this, it’s to be expected for most of us. It’s fine.

There are then times where we hold ourselves back from learning/benefitting from another. We are fearful to give away our authority in these matters. We settle with only what we already know. Even when the other would willingly and freely share their knowledge as a friend would. They have even written books about this or conducted research that we hesitate to know for ourselves.

Seek to learn for all matters that make a difference. Gather the knowledge of others to evolve your own learning, they are generally pleased to do so. Be a friend in need of knowledge, offer the same with your authority of knowledge.

“Sharing knowledge is the most fundamental act of friendship. Because it is a way you can give something without losing something.” — Richard Stallman —

MITM