My dear friend and mentor, the late Dr. H. Stephen Glenn, was the first one who told me about the rate at which world knowledge doubles.
Nope! Don’t run… this is cool and important!
(First, though, let’s pause long enough for me to admit that I’ve not yet managed to wrap my head around the way one would go about doing the math on such a thing! And, it’s still useful…)
Anyway, as the story – associated with R. Buckminster Fuller – goes, prior to 1900 (CE), human knowledge doubled about every century. Then, by about 1945, it was doubling closer to every 25 years!
Then, by 1982, all human knowledge was doubling every 12 – 13 months.
And, yes, I’m dizzy, too!
I remember a speech during President Obama’s second campaign (2012) in which he said that half of the kids starting kindergarten that year would enter the work force in a job that hadn’t been invented yet!
Time out for mind-boggled!
All of this has to do with a theory called Knowledge Half-Life, which means, as I understand it, the length of time it takes for half the knowledge of a particular area/subject becomes out of date and replaced by new information! (Fritz Machlup)
All of which is to say that facts change all the time!
Think of how much more we know since we started receiving images from the James Webb Space Telescope!!!
Yes, dear hearts, that blows my mind. It also matches my experience!
You may be wondering why this, just now…
Glad you asked!
You see, I’ve been relating to this whole knowledge doubling thing for 40-some years now.
In about the last 72 hours, though, it’s become real for me in a whole new way!
I won’t bore you with all the nitty gritty.
Let’s just say that I discovered that this new knowing bit can work for inside knowing, in the same way that engineers learn new things and our outside toys become obsolete!
Specifically, I’m in the middle of a major revelation about knowing. (And paint!)
The inside kind counts, too! The kind where every cell in your body lights up with something new, which just might be something, well… old!
And, then, if you’re like me, a whole lot of need for new outside knowing appears, too!
Lots of how? stuff. And in what sequence?
Yes, processing is in order. And, it may well feel different!
It also feels, at least for me just now, exciting! (Details to follow…)
For this moment, though, a question…
What old learning might you be holding tight to that isn’t serving you and your journey???
Or, if that’s a scary place to start, how about…
What new learning might you experiment with that might serve you better, now?
Curious???
CLICK HERE, even if it’s scary! Maybe especially if it’s scary! New questions and lots of support…
Why???
The clearer we get on our path, the more we can help!
ps… according to the calendar, it’s almost the end of Christmas in July at FierceArtWithHeart! Someone you know needs a gift that’s hiding here – maybe even you! The elves will be delighted to do the math and take 20% off everything, including super-gift matted art cards by the bundle. Please don’t miss out! (And, for the dedicated explorers… very cool hats!)