Every time we learn something new, our worldview shifts ever so slightly. When I speak of learning, I am not simply referring to the acquisition of facts. I am referring to the acquisition of knowledge. Facts can help you acquire knowledge, or simply pass an exam, earn a diploma or degree, or become somewhat successful. When one has knowledge, however, they understand how facts relate to situations and circumstances. Knowledge is used to interpret facts, so when someone says, “just stick to the facts,” they are suggesting that when the facts are fully presented, we can make a judgement, or we can understand how the facts line up.
If you want to see your world shift, gather facts, and then look at them from different perspectives. You are bound to see something you did not see before. When this happens, you will never be able to see those facts the same way you did before. Living and growing is about shifting and changing. My father used to say, “a wise man will change, but a fool will never change.” I interpret this to say that a fool or foolish person cannot change because they can only see things one way and from only one perspective. The only things that change about that person are external, like the color of their hair, the condition of their body, and the world around them.
If we want to be disciplined for success, we must be disciplined for change. If we want to be successful in growth and change, we must not just look at the facts, but we must study to understand how the facts align to produce knowledge. If we are disciplined for success, our lives and our perspectives will shift whenever we acquire knowledge.