What's the most unexpected thing you've learned in your life?

[carpdiem]

"What's the most unexpected thing you've learned in your life?"

That's my favorite, and most interesting, question. I find that I get the best responses to it because when you talk with someone, and hear about their life, there are certain things you expect them to have learned. Farmers learn about crops, mechanics learn about engines, and engineers learn about math. And so while it's helpful to hear about the common things that people have learned over their lives, it's not as useful, because those are things you expect them to have learned about. The things that they didn't expect to learn about, however, are the things that are most valuable to know, because they would otherwise never exist in your mind.

It would also be great to hear a one or two sentence summary about your life so far, to help put the 'unexpected' answers in context.

----- ----- ----- -----

Fair is fair, though, so I'll go first.

I've spent my young life studying everything from physics to philosophy. I've held research posts, and now I'm starting up a software company. I have an incredibly broad background that leaves me knowing a lot about a large number of fields, but the most unexpected thing I've learned in my life is that no matter what the subject is, or how extensive my background in it is, every single time I approach any subject at all, no matter how mundane, with a fresh and open mind, I always discover that the subject is ten times deeper and more detailed that I thought.

[vampyrewolf]

most important lesson? simply put "you don't know ****"

I'm a jack of all trades, with more specialized knowledge and experience in a few narrower fields. No matter what I learn, I can only scratch the surface of any given subject. There's no possible way to call yourself an "expert", as that implies that there s nothing left to learn. Anyone with any experience in any given field has something to teach you, even if it's just another method of looking at an old issue.

Your mind is like a parachute, it's only good when it's open :p The only thing that should be closed is your mouth (unless you're asking questions).

So yes, the most surprising thing for someone making an effort to learn everything is that they know nothing.

[aj1985]

A knife is just a knife, and the experiences matter a heck of a lot more.

Learned quite early and I'm quite glad. When the new year comes your gonna see my trying a lot of stuff that gets me outside my comfort zone. :D

aj

[Sequimite]

25 years ago I went in for the seventh surgery to remove benign tumors on my larynx. It's micro-surgery so the anesthetic also induced paralysis. Due to events, by the time I was wheeled down to surgery, the shot in my thigh began taking effect. The operating rooms were backed up, so they parked me in a corridor and left me.

General anesthetic always makes me nauseous, and as it kicked in I felt so sick to my stomach that the sweat began to run off both sides of my forehead. Unfortunately, I also was flat on my back and paralyzed. I bent every ounce of my willpower into suppressing the impulse to vomit for about twenty minutes until they came and rolled me into the operating room.

Ten years later I realized that I had not thrown up since that operation, could no longer vomit and have not done so to this day despite a few occasions wherein I wished to regain the ability. I remain shocked that intense concentration for twenty minutes could replace a basic instinctive behavior with a learned behavior.

[Marion David Poff]

Men and Women experience the world in profoundly different ways.

Logic is not the universal language.

I have only to try a little, and I will screw it up royally.

Marion

[SamMaxRay]

That 40 something years is not long at all.

[Doc Pyres]

That women actually find me attractive? :D

[Sequimite]

That women actually find me attractive? :D

No, "unexpected", not delusional.

[Doc Pyres]

No, "unexpected", not delusional.
:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

[Jimd]

I hate to say it, but the most unexpected thing that I've learned in this life is how cruel human being can be to each other.

[MountainManJim]

I learn something unexpected also every day. It what makes life such a joy. But, there's is one saying that is very true, but suprises me everytime: Everyone one has at least one thing they can teach you. If you have your mind open to the experience, you might just catch the lesson.

Jim

[sarguy]

25 years ago I went in for the seventh surgery to remove benign tumors on my larynx. It's micro-surgery so the anesthetic also induced paralysis. Due to events, by the time I was wheeled down to surgery, the shot in my thigh began taking effect. The operating rooms were backed up, so they parked me in a corridor and left me.

General anesthetic always makes me nauseous, and as it kicked in I felt so sick to my stomach that the sweat began to run off both sides of my forehead. Unfortunately, I also was flat on my back and paralyzed. I bent every ounce of my willpower into suppressing the impulse to vomit for about twenty minutes until they came and rolled me into the operating room.

Ten years later I realized that I had not thrown up since that operation, could no longer vomit and have not done so to this day despite a few occasions wherein I wished to regain the ability. I remain shocked that intense concentration for twenty minutes could replace a basic instinctive behavior with a learned behavior.

Very cool stuff. Just imagine what else in life we do that's been affected by conditioned behavior...Sorry to hear about the tumors, tho.

It's hard to say what the most unexpected thing I've learned is, as I'm only 28 and have much of my life to live. So far, I've figured out that "I don't know what I don't know", and that's about it.

[buglerbilly]

As I get older, and my next birthday is when I'm 60, I surprise myself and still learn about new things in life...............I'll stop the day I die.

My disbelief in the kindness and the inhumanity of man still surprises me on occasion.

Regards,

BRIAN

[FLYBYU44]

I learned something unexpected just yesterday. I learned that just because I always thought I was horrible at doing math, doesn't mean I can't learn how to do it and be pretty decent at it.

[FIMS]

In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson.

[untamed]

as i get older, and my next birthday is when i'm 60, i surprise myself and still learn about new things in life...............i'll stop the day i die.

My disbelief in the kindness and the inhumanity of man still surprises me on occasion.

Regards,

brian

amen!

[DMgangl]

A couple of life lessons I have learned are
First. Smile, it can always get worse.

Second, Never say Never. When I was in school for CNC machining I worked in a Cast Iron shop. It was filthy back braking work. I told myself when I left that place I would never work in a cast iron shop again. Its been 2 1/2 years since that job. Monday I start my new job,...It's a cast iron shop:(

DM

[FIMS]

Yellow snow is salty.

[AH2525]

That it is perfectly fine to just be you.

[Praxis]

Important lesson:

Sometimes things are really out of your control and you can't do anything about them.


Finished an advanced degree just over a year ago and under normal circumstances I should have found a job in a couple months, but over 12 months later still looking and surviving on part-time work and the kindness of family. :( I know I haven't done anything wrong and it's just the economy, etc., but it's pretty hard not to be frustrated. Have to accept that I can't control things and just try to get through one day at a time.

[merthyrmafia]

Well it took me well over 45 years before I realised most information we are fed from a young age usually as some sort of spin or untruth about it, just as the winner of the war writes the history, most religion and politics are far to controling, **Edited**, I'm a great believer in free thinking, that's why i've always admired about true American people is their inbuilt mistrust of their own goverment. **Edited**

[Sequimite]

Well it took me well over 45 years before I realised most information we are fed from a young age usually as some sort of spin or untruth about it, just as the winner of the war writes the history, most religion and politics are far to controling, **Edited**, I'm a great believer in free thinking, that's why i've always admired about true American people is their inbuilt mistrust of their own goverment.

Might want to use edit to delete the bit after this as it violates forum rules. As it is, what I quoted is pushing the envelope.

One of my favorite classes was 11th grade history, where we were presented with a variety of contemporaneous accounts and source documents for an historic event and had to navigate and cross-check the various spins to try to figure out what actually happened. I always admired the ability of the citizens of the former USSR to read Pravda and figure out by the way the lies were phrased and what was omitted, what might actually be happening.

[Pneumothorax]

This is not really profound, but I figured out that you never really change much from when you are young. You get older, more mature, maybe more reasonable, but some base things stay the same. I used to think - many years ago - that some parts of me would change as I grew older. What made me figure this out? Well, when I was a kid, I liked watches, pens, knives, flashlights and gadgets...what do I collect now? Watches, pens, knives, flashlights and cool gadgets. Took me a while to figure this out since its been serial - first pens, then watches, then knives, then...I just realized with the Spyderco addiction that Ive always liked these things - that has NEVER changed even though there were many, many years when I did not think about buying them - but when the seed was planted, it grew fast! Like I said, not very deep, but it fascinates me to finally understand this.

[merthyrmafia]

This is not really profound, but I figured out that you never really change much from when you are young. You get older, more mature, maybe more reasonable, but some base things stay the same. I used to think - many years ago - that some parts of me would change as I grew older. What made me figure this out? Well, when I was a kid, I liked watches, pens, knives, flashlights and gadgets...what do I collect now? Watches, pens, knives, flashlights and cool gadgets. Took me a while to figure this out since its been serial - first pens, then watches, then knives, then...I just realized with the Spyderco addiction that Ive always liked these things - that has NEVER changed even though there were many, many years when I did not think about buying them - but when the seed was planted, it grew fast! Like I said, not very deep, but it fascinates me to finally understand this.

You know what they say, the difference between Men and Boys, is the price of their toys!

[The Mastiff]

1) How quickly life goes by

2) How much you can miss people when they are gone.

Don't put things off until tomorrow, and never take loved ones for granted. Good times and bad times just go along with life but don't get so involved with them you don't have time for what and who is really important.

[lerman]

for me it was accepting the fact that there are things i just don't know, and don't understand and most likely will never do, starting with the most small, every day things and as big as the.. well... "big questions of life".
ironically this gave me a whole new perspective on life, it made me feel so small and irrelevant.
some people would say that and attitude like this will depress the "thirst for knowledge",
but insted it made learning experiences much easier for me as i'm no longer so judgmental towards myself.

i hope this makes sense:D

[Sequimite]

for me it was accepting the fact that there are things i just don't know, and don't understand and most likely will never do,

i hope this makes sense:D

Yes, it makes sense - I've also given up on understanding women.

It is really quite amazing what we can know for (nearly) certain. But, being finite creature of limited perception, we are constantly operating on imagined analogies that don't do justice to reality.

George Orwell said, " To see what is in front of one's nose needs a constant struggle."

[Pneumothorax]

1) How quickly life goes by


Mastiff,

If I were really thinking about it more deeply, that is what I would have said. I am constantly amazed how life fast life is going by. Last I remember, I was getting out of college. Now, my daughter is in high school and son is in 7th grade and am starting to think about where the heck the last 20+ years went. I have realized that it really is about the journey and not the destination and to focus on enjoying life, relatives, friends, etc. now. Its all the little things that you experience that make you who you are, not just the 'big' events. Having said all that, work often gets in the way of doing just that. At any rate, time to shut this babble off.

Thanks again for the reminder.

Mike

[GaryC]

I found the most important thing in life is we worry to much about things that may never happen or just worry about small things. We're just passing through. We were born with nothing & when we go, we can't take anything with us. Live one day at a time & enjoy the moment, everything we own is only for awhile. Nothing lasts forever. Rich or poor, we are all here until it's time to go, we are all equal. I don't want to sound depressing but that's the way it is. So laugh your ass off & have a good time. Gary

[A.P.F.]

Giving to others is the greatest gift that you can give to yourself.

Spend more time listening, as everyone has a story to tell.

Drop the illusion of 'them' and 'us'. There is only 'us'.

[raven]

Always Expect the Unexpected, Never Leave Your Guard Down, and Always Be Aware of Your Surroundings ...lesson learned the HARD WAY :rolleyes:!!!

Life as an LEO makes one see life from a VERY Different perspective. Take Good Care and Be Safe Always.

God Bless :)


-raven-

[topwater]

When the game is over the Pawn and King go back into the same box

[BBQ BOY]

that the biggest thing in life that will get you into trouble is your mouth.

[v8r]

i have learned it does not matter how much you know there will always be someone who knows more(or thinks they know more).;)I have gotten where I won't tell people what I know because they probably won't listen any way.Sometimes people have to just learn on their own.

Men think Logically

Women think with Emotion

Everyone has a Opinion right or wrong.

As I get older I realize the impact family members have had on my life.

[v8r]

that the biggest thing in life that will get you into trouble is your mouth.

It's a proven fact that if you rub onion on the bottom of your foot that within a hour your breath will smell like onion!:D

[Dr. Snubnose]

The two most unexpected things that I learned in life is:
1) To master anything in Life you need three things....Patience, Perseverance and Intestinal Fortitude.....
and....
2) Intensive Purposes is really Intents and Purposes....that one took me forty years...LOL...Doc:D

[Mr Blonde]

1) How quickly life goes by

2) How much you can miss people when they are gone.

Don't put things off until tomorrow, and never take loved ones for granted. Good times and bad times just go along with life but don't get so involved with them you don't have time for what and who is really important.

Amen to that! Loved ones can be ripped out of your life in a flash, and with almost the same speed you can meet a new one.

Wouter

[Dr. Snubnose]

Amen to that! Loved ones can be ripped out of your life in a flash, and with almost the same speed you can meet a new one.

Wouter

Nine months IIRC to make one of those friends.....she is adorable...must look like your wife:p...Doc:D

[Mr Blonde]

Nine months IIRC to make one of those friends

In hindsight it seems much faster than that.;)


.....she is adorable...must look like your wife:p...Doc:D

LOL, yes she must!:D

wouter

[noddy]

That people who claim to know anything about anything have fundamentally missed the point (that or they are just bullies).

Either way, don't trust the intentions of anyone with a plausible answer, even, and perhaps especially, if they appear as one of the good guys. :D:D:D

Watch out for Insensitive Porpoises too

[O,just,O]

Life is about the people in it.
Pity that so many only come to realise this when on their death bed.
ie. The most important things in our lives are our loved ones, & to hurt or harm them we hurt ourselves a damn site more.
O.

[David Lowry]

The most unexpected thing I've learned is this...

Your mouth and words can get you in more trouble than anything else in the world. They can hurt people a lot more than any weapon can.

From the Bible: "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry...." <-----this would save a bunch of people a lot of heartache and trouble!

[Kuolema]

Hm....What I've learned?

Life... It goes on.

And to a lesser extent:

Men are from earth. Women are from earth. Deal with it.