“The more you know, the more you don’t know”
- Dave Chappelle (and a lot of other people with various phrasings)
I’ve recently been enamored with the idea that the more you know, the more you realize how little you actually know about the world. (Because it’s absolutely true)
And an even deeper level to that idea, in that we are the most limited versions of our future selves.
That as we do more, learn more, become more, we aren’t just filling up our cups or plates but expanding them. Allowing for more. Creating space for what’s next and who we get to become.
That as you release expectations of yourself, and allow yourself the capability of growth and change, that the world will meet you in that same place.
Expectations can quickly, and easily, become limitations.
It’s like trying to steer and direct a ship in uncharted waters in the middle of the night acting like you know where you’re going.
If you’re going to jump off into the unknown and do something you’ve never (and maybe no one has ever) done before, sometimes you have to be willing to let yourself go to places you never expected to go.
Creative Ideas are more than just an opportunity for self-expression, they also opportunities for self-discovery and personal growth. Sometimes you have to let go and let them.
Serendipitous Side Story on Why I’m giving Dave Chappelle the nod on the quote:
About a week ago, I put on Dave Chappelle’s Killing them Softly (2000) stand-up special to have in the background as I did some writing and was winding down for the night. I had already decided I wanted to write on that idea/quote and dive further into it, but with it being such a common, and heavily quoted, idea I didn’t know who to give credit to (or if I even needed to give anyone credit for such a common thought). I hadn’t put it into google yet to see what popped up, and I was leaning towards just leaving it unquoted, and pretty much right when I made that decision, I looked up to pay attention to Dave Chappelle for a little bit and BOOM he said “The more you know, the more you don’t know”. And I thought to myself “Well I’ll be damned…” and immediately went to my whiteboard to jot down the quote. I always love, and find it absolutely fascinating, when shit like that happens. When you’re really looking for something and paying attention to/for it, you can really find anything in this world.
From “Creative Quick Takes” circa 2019