If we come to feel that we don’t know something for certain, it can give us reason to pause before we proceed forward. The unknown is made to feel intimidating.

In our younger days, it was likely not the case that we chose to stop when an unknown circumstance was presented to us. The mind wasn’t yet shaped to develop this hesitancy to avoid any sort of perceived failure.

As we age, there is a tendency to not want to be seen as ineffective or naive by others in the decisions and actions that we take. Easier to be part of the normal herd than approach an unknown.

Risk and fear avoidance can become a pattern where we would no longer continue learning. While this may seem comfortable, it is really quite risky to stop the process of learning. We should be more concerned with no longer learning than we would be with having an occasional failure or two.

We can always continue learning and contributing at a greater level than we start each new day with.

“Don’t fear the unknown. Embrace the opportunity. Failure is not permanent, it is the essence of learning.” — W. Brett Wilson —

MITM