I took a class that focused on how to look like an expert. A question kept nagging at me – shouldn’t we be talking about how to become an expert, not just look like one?

Add to this nagging question, the definition I was once given of a “master.” The idea was that a true master did not have to speak of his/her virtues –That if there was really something there, others would speak of it. Now I am not saying that I am a true master, but I am saying that this idea of not spending my time on this blog or website telling you how good I am, seems, well, refreshing to me. There are, so many other things to talk about!

Finally, while I am third generation Japanese American, I am, in certain respects, quite Japanese. I still don’t find I want to horrify my parents and ancestors by blatantly and obviously talking about myself in a boastful manner. Of course, I am not so Japanese that I am sitting quietly at home waiting for you to notice me either. Balance.

One more finally: I have learned that the wisest people I have come across get that they don’t know everything and are therefore, always students. My favorite teachers were completely open to learning from their students. Not always so much in the subject matter, but in so many other ways. Even going a step further, I would say that I really gained confidence in what I know, when I realized I know “nothing.”

I am now worried, that in my own way, I just bragged and implied that I am a humble master. Well, all I can say is that I am very wabi-sabi – and happy to claim that.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 and is filed under Think GeniusWork, Thoughts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.