Baseball and not knowing what you don't know

LiveYourDream

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Seeing some threads here, I thought of this rough analogy...

In American baseball there are different leagues with corresponding levels of play. There is Little League, Junior League, High School Baseball, College Baseball, The Minor Leagues, and The Major Leagues, culminating in The (American) World Series. While the structure of the game looks the same in each league, with a bat, ball, three bases, home plate, and the goal to score the most runs. At the same time, the level of training, skill, strategy, and the overall game played, from one league to the next league, are world's apart.

A successful player in a lower league can get off track, if his confidence and enthusiasm from all his wins, accidentally leads him to think, that he's now got the game 'figured out'. He can lose sight of the fact that he does not even comprehend yet, what it takes to play in the league above his, let alone the leagues above that one. Little League, to College Baseball, to the Majors, all baseball, but worlds apart in skill, experience, and understanding of the game.

This forum is filled with players of many different levels of skill, experience, and understanding. There is no need to judge what level you or anyone else currently plays at. Everyone is on a journey with the continual opportunity to improve. Everyone is learning, if they choose. Contribute what you can to others based on what you know. Understand that no display of arrogance, exaggerated confidence, bullying, shaming, false logic, and declaring truth, etc will ever cover up what you don’t know. You can never fool those in the leagues above you. You simply make a greater display of your not knowing. There is never shame in not knowing something. Falsely declaring something, or using other tactics, here, in order to hide what you don't know, or exaggerate what you do know, only reflects poorly upon you. It may not be commented upon, but it is seen.

The point isn’t to suggest any hierarchy of who teaches who. Everyone can offer insight based upon their experience and understanding. The point is to remain aware that one's own understanding and experience is always limited. While your insight may seem great to those on levels below you, there are always levels above you, from which to learn. One will miss the opportunity to improve further, if one mistakenly believes they've already got the game figured out. The key is to remain open.

Be willing to sacrifice being at the top of a league, for the opportunity to start at the bottom, (yes the bottom) in the next higher league. Be willing to be humble. You'll never make it to the major leagues, unless you are willing to give up being at the top of all the leagues that came before. There is great potential in remembering that you don't know, what you don't know and remaining open to learn.

TL;DR
In baseball, the structure of the game looks the same in each league, with a bat, ball, three bases, home plate, and the goal to score the most runs. At the same time, the level of training, skill, strategy, and the overall game played, from one league to the next league, are world's apart. Trying to cover up what you don't know or exaggerating what you do know, only reflects poorly upon you. Don't ever mistake playing at the top of one league, for having the game all figured out. You'll never know how much you don't know, unless you are willing to be humble and learn, in the next higher league.
 
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l_e_g_e_n_d

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I don't post much, but every once in a while a thread appears that grabs my attention. It just so happens that you author many of these threads.

I have always struggled with humility. Let's just say it has been the reason for many of my failings. The ego can be a very powerful enemy indeed.

The funny thing about humility: the more I practice it, the "luckier" I get. Much to be said about a person who has life by the balls, yet is humble.
 

fastlife

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Great post. I think it's easy to find something that works for you and assume it's the only thing that works. For me, the part that keeps life interesting is trying something different every time. The first time I spun plates (before I knew it was a thing), I felt like a total robot because I just kept repeating what worked over and over and deep down I was relying on the girls to keep me entertained and stimulated instead of making things fun for me.

The culture of SoSuave, The DJ Bible, etc., offers a great template--but it's up to each of us to make it our own and decide how to incorporate the things we learn here into the kind of lifestyle we want. There are definitely some fundamentals that guys starting out should internalize and make use of (they work)--but it's so limiting to think of that as the endgame.
 

Yewki

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There are several fallacies and unsupported statements in your drawn out post, but I did like your point about moving up,

Be willing to sacrifice being at the top of a league, for the opportunity to start at the bottom, (yes the bottom) in the next higher league.
 

Never try to read a woman's mind. It is a scary place. Ignore her confusing signals and mixed messages. Assume she is interested in you and act accordingly.

Quote taken from The SoSuave Guide to Women and Dating, which you can read for FREE.

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