I really like what Jobs said: "stay hungry, stay foolish." It means, "be eager for knowledge and humble like a fool." Admitting our ignorance is not admitting failure. Ignorance is an attitude; it is precisely because of our thirst for the unknown that we continue to move forward bravely. With a beginner's heart, we dare to jump out of our 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 a strange kind of pride. Because the poorer the knowledge, the more absolute the beliefs become. This is because they 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 pull you down to their level and defeat you with illogical statements, causing you to collapse. People with low cognition will never say sorry in their lifetime; they will not admit they are wrong and will only feel that they are always 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 like to give unsolicited advice. Zhang Yiming said that the gap in life is widened in the comfort of self-satisfaction. There is a psychological theory called the "Dunning-Kruger effect." It means, "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 caused by bad people. They act without thinking, are mysteriously confident, and tend to view problems in a one-sided manner, making it extremely dangerous to interact with them. A netizen shared the story of his cousin, who recently had to work overtime, did not rest well, and ate poorly, leading to a decline in his immunity. He was suddenly diagnosed with a late-onset allergy to peanuts and nuts, and he specifically reminded his parents to avoid these foods when cooking. However, his parents did not believe him and thought he had become arrogant after earning some money in the city. The next day, his mother deliberately mixed some crushed peanuts into his food, 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 lack dignity?" Jobs replied, "No, smart people care more about their growth, always maintaining an open mindset, rather than defending their face or trying to prove 'I am not wrong'." Musk said that to achieve true growth, you must have a corrective feedback loop. This means you must constantly discover your own problems and improve 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 youthful.