Smörgåsbord

     Smörgåsbord!

     What a great word! I had one particular student from probably 35 or 40 years ago, and all I remember about him is that 'smörgåsbord' was his favorite word. He used it whenever he could. He might have been ahead of his time.

     Those who know me also know that I spend too much time online, but is it truly too much? There is a wonderful quote that states."Any time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time." Way back in the day when I was working toward my master's degree, I remember proclaiming that if I could be a student for the rest of my life, I would! I love learning new 'stuff,' and for every new piece of valid information that comes into my mind, countless other pieces have to be moved around to make it fit, which intellectually results in a ripple effect. 

     In today's world, a world I never thought I'd see outside of literature or movies, there's a lot of that happening. By introducing new information, conclusions are discarded or renegotiated. The good guys maybe aren't so good, and the bad guys are maybe worse than we could ever imagine. Maybe a bad guy even becomes a good guy.

     Anyhow, I am a person with a smörgåsbord of knowledge. Unlike others, I know a little about a lot of things, but I don't know a lot about much, which is both a blessing and a curse. When I have exhausted my knowledge of something, I sit back and listen to someone who may know more, and the reshuffling on information begins - new ideas are formed while old ideas may be discarded. 

     The most dangerous people are those with limited 'knowledge' - Pope's 'A little learning is a dangerous thing' or Heinlein's 'Never underestimate the power of human stupidity.' If people have limited knowledge/intelligence, they need to understand their limit of knowledge is not surrounded by an impervious wall. It should be just the opposite - that's what learning and growth are all about.

     People need to watch, listen, and read beyond their mental limited mental fortresses and move the pieces.

     "It's what you learn after you know it all that counts" (John Wooden).