“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” –Mark Twain
The path of unlearning can be steep and, often, the first step is the most difficult.
The reason this is so isn’t necessarily because the journey ahead is so arduous (although often it can be), it is because frequently we don’t even realize we are on a questionable path.
This is made even more difficult when the path we are on is well-worn and/or popular.
After all, who are we to question the wisdom of all those who also followed the same path?
That’s the wrong question!
Here’s a better question: You are you not to question the wisdom of the current path?
Who knows, perhaps, there is a shorter or more convenient route to the same destination.
Perhaps, there is a longer route that leads to new insights, new findings, new beauties, or new riches.
Perhaps, new obstacles or barriers have emerged that now block the well-worn path further down the road.
Or, perhaps, the current path has always lead to a less than optimal destination.
You’ll never know the answer to these questions unless you first question your current path.
One way to do this, as Mark Twain reminds us, is just to take time to pause and reflect. This is especially true if a majority of people are on the same path.
