We’ve been sold so many lies over the years. The you’ll be happy when set comes immediately to mind.
- You know how those go.
- You’ll be happy when you graduate.
- You’ll be happy when you get that new car
- You’ll be happy when you get married.
And on and on.
The answer there, of course, is BE HAPPY NOW. It’s the processes not the arriving.
Another one that grinds my gears is “Memorizing isn’t useful. You need to understand not memorize.”
This is the age-old problem knowledge vs. wisdom
And in a time when you can just Google it is information useful anymore.
This question (like yesterday’s) is the WRONG question.
We are being sold on an argument that doesn’t make any sense. Knowledge and wisdom are two sides of the same coin. You CAN’T have one without the other. You can’t do higher level math without memorizing multiplication tables.
You can’t do surgery if you haven’t memorized the anatomy.
The pure facts aren’t enough. Sometimes the anatomy is different. Wisdom helps you decide based on the knowledge that you have.
YOU NEED BOTH.
Do not discount memorization. Memorization is the foundation to be able to use wisdom.
You’re going to need facts unless you plan to get by on wisdom alone. Inside the October issue of the Physician Assistant Exam Scholars newsletter, I go over some compelling ways to memorize more and hold onto it for longer. You’ll be stunned by the time you’ve wasted not using just one of these techniques.