I really like what Jobs said: "stay hungry, stay foolish." It means, "Be eager for knowledge and humble like a fool." Acknowledging our ignorance does not mean admitting failure. Ignorance is an attitude; it is our desire for the unknown that drives us forward. With a beginner's heart, bravely step out of your comfort zone and explore everything with an ignorant mindset. Teacher Luo Xiang said that the more knowledge-poor a person is, the more they possess a strange kind of courage and an inexplicable sense of pride. Because the less knowledge you have, the more absolute your beliefs become. This is because you have never heard opposing viewpoints. What kind of viewpoints do people like to accept? Their own preferred viewpoints. What do people like to see? What they want to see. But in this way, you will never grow.
01 People with low cognition are very stubborn and narrow-minded#
People with low cognition will not admit their mistakes. Do not try to change them; never argue with those who have low cognition. Because they will drag you down to their level and then defeat you with illogical arguments, causing you to collapse. People with low cognition will never say sorry in their lifetime; they will not admit they are wrong and will always feel they are right. Therefore, adults can only filter, not educate. Confucius said, "In a group of three, there must be my teacher." However, those with low cognition believe they understand everything and enjoy pointing out others' faults. Zhang Yiming said that the gap in life is widened in self-satisfaction. There is a psychological theory called the "Dunning-Kruger effect." It means that "the lower the cognition, the more confident the person; the higher the cognition, the more humble the person." People with low cognition, because they do not understand where they fall short, tend to overestimate themselves; while those with high cognition, knowing the boundaries of knowledge and ability, are more aware of their shortcomings and thus remain humble.
02 People with low cognition are scarier than bad people#
In this world, the harm caused by foolish people far exceeds that of bad people. They act without thinking, are mysteriously confident, and tend to view problems very one-sidedly. Interacting with them is extremely dangerous. A netizen shared the story of his cousin, who had been working overtime, not resting well, and eating poorly, resulting in a weakened immune system. He was suddenly diagnosed with a late-onset allergy to peanuts and nuts. He specifically reminded his parents to avoid these foods when cooking. However, his parents did not believe him, thinking that since he had made a little money in the city, he had become arrogant. The next day, his mother deliberately added some crushed peanuts to his meal, hoping to correct his bad habits. Later, he died from a severe allergic reaction.
03 People with low cognition do not grow#
Jobs said, "I particularly enjoy interacting with smart people because I don't have to consider their dignity." The interviewer asked, "Do smart people have no dignity?" Jobs replied, "No, smart people care more about their growth, always maintaining an open mindset, rather than defending their pride or trying to prove 'I am not wrong'." Musk said, "To achieve true growth, you must have a corrective feedback loop." This means you must constantly discover your own problems and improve in order to achieve real growth. If you can continuously break through your past self and refresh your old concepts, it is equivalent to being reborn every day; this is the secret to staying young.