Avoiding to learn more about a subject which you feel competent in is a sure path to mediocrity.

Learning things you already know seems like a chore to some people. But to the rest of us, we realize that reiterating what we already know helps to strengthen our beliefs. Relearning things from different voices gives us more tools to conquer times of doubt. It also gives us more tools to help teach others.

When you believe in something, you are better able to get someone else to believe in it. The stronger you believe, the easier it is to sway others, or so we’re told. The truth is, that you may believe in something wholehearted, but without the proper tools you may find trouble when trying to articulate your beliefs to others.

When articulating your beliefs to others without a proper foundation you may run into resistance. This resistance may happen due to coming off as arrogant, as if you haven’t considered any other option but your own. It could be sounding naive, you’re only blindly believing in something you find attractive. You may come off as being ignorant on the subject, as passionate as you may be.

People who don’t already believe what you believe may need a substantial amount of information in order to prove to them that your belief is sound, and that they too should believe. Sometimes, even when we truly do believe in something, we must take the time to learn more.

And why should we resist learning more about something which we believe? We shouldn’t! You already believe in it, so you should enjoy learning about it! Enjoy reading yet another rendition of the same lesson you already know, it gives you another strong tool in your toolbox of helping others to believe.

Call it the ego, call it arrogance, but the tendency to avoid learning more about a subject which you feel competent in is a sure path to mediocrity. If you wish to master something you will need to know not only the ins and outs of it, but also every possible direction to approach the subject. Okay, maybe not every possible direction, but so many that you get to the point of being able to create your own directions ad hoc.

Sticking to what you know because it’s comfortable and feels good is not going to get you anywhere, except where you already are.