As we grow we learn what our own pace is. We would do well to honor it.
The pace is the rate at which you grow, change, or learn information. It has nothing to do with anything external to you. This is not society’s definition of getting certifications, degrees, or any material sign of knowledge. This is what happens when you take what life gives you and integrate it with who you are.
We know that people get knowledge, take a test and then forget it. Therefore things like degrees, and certifications don’t really show what a person knows. It only shows that at one point they knew something which they have probably forgotten. Yet bizarrely and against what we see in research and real life, people often overidentify with their knowledge or lack of it. They claim to know things for certain when experts don’t know things for certain.
What has made a huge difference in my life is not pursuing knowledge as a badge and weapon to use against others, but as something that might help others. Too often people who have an education look down on those who don’t have an education. Yes, they clearly know things the other doesn’t, but that doesn’t mean they are closer to the truth or right about what they say or think. Am I arguing against education? Of course not. I believe in learning as much as we can. However, you need to remember to be humble and not allow a few facts to distort your thinking and humanity.
In life, you have to decide and commit to learning things and growing because it helps you and those around you. Not because you will get ahead at work. Not because you can feel superior to others who are ignorant of what you know. In fact, if you feel proud of knowing something, it is clear you don’t know much. The most knowledgeable people are the most humble.