Wisdom in the Age of Information
Expanding Paradigms - Spring 2008

"Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense." ––Gertrude Stein

Ernest Rutherford noticed that one of the students in his physics lab worked every evening. "Do you work in the mornings too?" he inquired. "Yes" answered the student proudly. Puzzled, Rutherford asked "But when do you think?"

In 1996, I presented a workshop at the National Wellness Conference. When not teaching I had lots of free time to attend other workshops. The schedule ran from early morning till night, with dozens of choices at each time slot. I spent hours deciding which workshops to attend to get the most from this wonderful conference.

Crossing campus from one presentation to the next, I passed a friend napping beneath a pine tree. The next day I saw her stretched out on a blanket between two oaks, a piece of apple held out towards a squirrel, who sat several feet away returning her gaze. The following afternoon, between workshops, I saw her sitting cross-legged on the lawn writing in a journal.
She waived me over saying, "You are welcome to sit with me. It's a gorgeous day!"

"I don't have time,” I said. “I am on my way to hear Candace Pert talk about the Mind/Body Connection. Why don't you come with me?"

Smiling, she declined the invitation. "I have already been to two workshops today."

"You paid a lot of money to attend this conference. Do you really feel like your are getting your money's worth?"

"Do you?" she countered, and followed up with a question. "Can you tell me which workshops you attended yesterday and one thing you learned from each?"

I was surprised at how little I could recall - the first three days of the conference were a distant blur.

I must admit that I still attended the talk by Candace Pert. However, following her presentation I found a quiet corner in a nearby park and took time to think about her talk, and make notes on what I thought most valuable to me. I still remember and make use of much of what I learned from her presentation, which is more than I can say for any of the dozens of equally good presentations I attended prior to her talk.

Gradually I have come to value knowledge and wisdom above the accumulation of information. I still enjoy reading books, but now, before moving on to the next book, I take time to think about what I have just read. I allow the new ideas and the old to interact - sometimes supporting each other, often contradicting one another, and eventually forging connections and aligning into a new way of thinking, a new way of looking at the world. Sometimes, less is more! Namaste'