Expert versus beginner

Expert versus beginner

Have you ever noticed that you can remember perfectly well what someone said to you, but you don’t remember exactly what words she used? … Most of the time, we aren’t interested in mere wording; we are interested in what was said, that is, meaning, the subject matter. Our indifference to wording is a symptom of our expertise. Only beginners needs to pay attention to words and their order. Expertise opens up the possibility of real communication.

That from a link posted a couple of days ago. Then there is this:

I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods in my life.

Being expert at being a beginner seems the thing then. Being comfortable being uncomfortable. Feeling free to be free. Being expert at being a beginner opens up the possibility of real communication and frees us up for what’s to come. I think. But I’m no expert.

(thx, john)