Is your cup empty?

We hold a lot of judgements. Beliefs. Values. Ideas. Ideologies. Theories. Experiences. Learnings. Behaviours.

We have amassed these throughout our lives.

They have then become our identity.

How we behave, act, and think is a result of all these factors. Influencing us over a period of time.

So when we are now faced with a new situation, we use those “learnings” to help us navigate.

Except, we are not interested in learning any more.

Only regurgitating.

There is a great scene from a famous Bollywood movie called “3 Idiots”. The lead character is Rancho. And he is being critical about how they are being taught physics in college. He challenges the professor that he can teach better than him.

So the professor asks him to step up and show him.

Rancho writes two words on the board. “Farhanitrate” and “Prerajulisation”. And asks the class to tell him in 60 seconds what the two words mean.

Everyone gets into a frenzy, including the professor. Scouring the textbooks and notes to find the answers.

60 seconds up. And no one has the answer.

Rancho then reveals that there no such words. That he made them up from the names of his two friends “Farhan” and “Raju”.

He then drops his wisdom. “Look at everyone. Racing to find the answer. No one even stopped for a moment to think that there was an opportunity to learn. To understand something new.”

We operate like this in life. Unable to empty our cup. And always eager to regurgitate.

To learn, we have to unlearn. Become empty. Humble.

Accepting that we don’t know.

And becoming ready to know. Learn. And grow.

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU CAN DO TODAY?

When you come across an opportunity to take part in a conversation or discussion, try to hold back.

Practice unlearning. Set aside what you know.

Listen. And Learn.