When the cup is always full

Knowledge is learning something every day. Wisdom is letting something go every day. – Zen Proverb

Hi! Happy Chinese New Year.

'When your cup is always full, you can't learn anything my dear'. That was what my lecturer said to my friend when she argued about her assignment with him. I didn't really catch the real meaning of it at that time, maybe because I was young or maybe because my cup was just empty he..he.. 


Anyway, I'm writing on this because I came across this quote again and again and last night my mom was so angry with my dad and she said that my dad is someone who is 'cerdik tak boleh diikut, bodoh tak boleh diajar'( in Malay) which means almost the same thing. It means someone who refuse to accept other people suggestion or any new input. Then, I thought I should reflect on this quote/proverb.


Or course, if you think you are very smart, knows everything, you will want people to follow you instead of you following the people. I can truly understand that because we like things to be done in our way. We like people to respect us for having the knowledge.We feel very proud if our suggestion being implemented and more if our names are printed anywhere near our work. Aren't  we? So, why should we be listening to others? 


But learning is a never ending process. Process is a continuous procedure and  knowledge is about learning something every day. Then, how can a person claimed to know everything? How can a person claimed to have all the knowledge? If a person, a human being knows everything ...... does that mean he doesn't has to learn anything more. That is so ....... impossible.


But the things that we thought it is impossible ...... is actually the thing happening in our environment. It's happening around us and amazingly, it happens a lot in my work place. Some of the people who I work with think that they know everything. They are professionals, academician which should be learning more  (at least .... that is what I thought) but they are the people who refused to learn. They want you to listen to them. They even cut off your conversation, so that you will listen to what they had to say. They would not take your suggestion because they have a better one. They know everything because they ' kami lebih dulu makan garam' (it means that they are more experience)


As a human being, we accept that we are not perfect but why are we pretending that we know everything. We should be learning everyday and whether we realize it or not, there's always a new thing to be learn each day. It's not necessary a big thing or an academic thing but there's always things to be learn. Age is not the limit. Doesn't matter how old we are, they should be always a space for learning. The question is ........ whether we want to learn or not. It is totally up to us.


My friends, we must never stop learning but we think that we know everything about everything. We can't learn if the cup is always full. Learning is an ongoing process. Maybe, we should start with making some space in our tea cup. Then we can fill in with some new tea.

Knowledge is learning something every day. Wisdom is letting something go every day. – Zen Proverb