There’s a concept called plasticity in the neural sciences that refers to one’s capacity for reorganization and change (in the brain). Children, for example, are said to have the type of neural plasticity that allows them to learn a new language with greater ease than an adult counterpart, and the concept of plasticity can have effects on everything from behavior to vision to pain to emotional regulation.
While your own plasticity will be partially determined by basic physiology, you’d be a fool not to recognize that your potential for change is still partially within your control. You are not a finished product. I’ll grant this: it’s certainly easier to close up shop, say the mold has hardened, plasticity is no more, and you are who you are, so the world had better learn to deal with that because it’s not changing. But I know I’m not interested in throwing in the towel on my development yet, and I would hope you’re not either.
Enter: humility. This is your tool for keeping the mold soft and pliable, for keeping the plasticity alive. As much as a middle school brat can be a thorn in their teacher’s side, I’m willing to bet that even the brattiest among them operate with a basic humility that makes them more teachable (and therefore have greater potential for development) than their adult counterparts. Little Johnny knows, deep down, that he doesn’t know as much about algebra as his teacher. That humility alone give Little Johnny a fighting chance.
Unless you’re a true subject matter expert, you are better off assuming you know very little about anything at all (and even then, you should assume that you’ve still got more to learn). At worst, you surprise yourself and get it right. At best, you maintain high levels of teachability, foster your own continual personal development, and outstrip the rest of the competition.
Be humble.
- PS
AMRAP 10
200m run
30s max cal row
Then...
With a partner (alternate)…
AMRAP 5
V-ups
Rest 1 min
AMRAP 5
Strict push-ups
Rest 1 min
AMRAP 5
Floor GHRs
Posted on 04/18/2019 at 12:00 AM
