Room for More Learning

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“That is what learning is. You suddenly understand something you’ve understood all your life, but in a new way.” – Doris Lessing

The other day I went to help four-year-old Mr. D with his shoes, and he said, “I can do it. I’m an es-pert!”

It reminded me of a story I had just re-read in Mark Nepo’s Book of Awakening. He credits it to Leroy Little Bear:

“Two scientists traveled halfway round the world to ask a Hindu sage what he thought about their theories. When they arrived, he kindly brought them into his garden and poured them tea. Though the two small cups were full, the sage kept pouring.

Tea kept overflowing and the scientists politely but awkwardly said, ‘Your holiness, the cups can hold no more.’

The sage stopped pouring and said, ‘Your minds are like the cups. You know too much. Empty your minds and come back. Then we’ll talk.’”

Leroy Little Bear

This is my invitation when I think I know something, to stop, empty my mind, and fill my heart.

I went to the memorial service of the father of one of my childhood friends this weekend. He was a psychologist by vocation and long before I knew what that was, I understood that he had a healing presence.

One of the phrases that stuck out to me in the eulogies was one from his grandson. He said that this man “led by listening.” Ah yes, that’s it exactly.

Which brings me back to my four-year-old es-pert at shoes. I am so grateful for his help with the routine by getting his own shoes on. But anytime I’m feeling expert at anything, I remember that most of the time Mr. D, the es-pert, wears his shoes on the wrong feet. There’s always room for more listening and more learning.

For more about lifelong learning, please see my Heart of the Matter Post: Learning the Easy Way or the Hard Way

(featured photo from Pexels)

(quote from Reflections on Learning on the Real Life of an MSW blog)

42 thoughts on “Room for More Learning”

  1. Pingback: Learning The Easy Way or The Hard Way – The Heart of the Matter

  2. Lol, I love this! We’re often experts in our own minds when we have so much room to learn. A small fish growing a little bigger thinks it is very big in a small fishbowl, but when placed in a larger tank with many mote fish, how will it do?

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  4. A sweet story, Wynne. The world is so full of opinion on every subject. We have more knowledge than ever in human history and more disinformation. Some days it is useful to stop and reflect, now…

    Liked by 4 people

  7. In just these past few weeks I have been privileged to learn a few new things that literally have been sitting right under my nose for the six years I’ve lived in this space. True revelations where the reaction can only be the self-deprecating smack to the forehead, then the thoughtful pause, and then the knowing chuckle and head shake realizing you (hopefully) will never stop learning until the end. I actually relish those moments, knowing its’ never too late.

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    1. “never stop learning until the end.” That sounds like a great motto for you, Deb! 🙂 Love your story about learning all the time – even things that have been sitting under your nose for 6 years! 🙂 ❤

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  9. This thoughtful reflection on learning and the wisdom of emptying one’s mind to truly understand resonates deeply. The anecdotes and quotes presented here beautifully convey the essence of learning as a continuous process, regardless of age or expertise. Mr. D’s innocent assertion of being an “es-pert” at putting on his shoes serves as a charming reminder that there’s always room for growth and new perspectives, even in the simplest aspects of life. The story of the overflowing tea cups and the notion of “leading by listening” further reinforce the idea that true understanding often emerges when we empty our preconceived notions and embrace a receptive mindset. It’s a heartwarming and insightful piece that encourages us all to approach life with humility, curiosity, and an open heart, fostering a lifelong love for learning.

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    1. Thank you for the thoughtful comment, Joseph. I really love you conclusion, “approach life with humility, curiosity, and an open heart, fostering a lifelong love for learning.” Yes!

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  11. Such a beautiful and poignant story. Something I didn’t experience until my mid-twenties was the phenomenon of realizing that the more I learned about something, the more I realized how little I actually knew about it. I was working on a tourist fishing boat (as a cook on 2 day trips), and the guys taught me how to fish. It was very different from any of the fishing I’d done growing up. And the more they taught, the more I realized just how little I knew!

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  12. I remember you sharing the pouring into an overflowing cup story before. It’s so true. That’s a true and pure way that we can learn, when we empty our preconceptions and be open to listening and learning. “Led by listening” is something I imagine others must say about you too, Wynne! 😊

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  18. There’s a lot here that makes me smile, but I love the shoe es-pert piece most of all in this period where Everything, Everywhere, All at Once is my comfort movie. Shoes on the wrong feet play an important role in that movie, so I’m feeling … oh, I don’t know, universal synchronicity and synergy here!

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