I Don't Know (Almost) Squat = Humility (I Hope)

In a podcast lecture last year, RZIM itinerant John Dickson defined and discussed the role and power of humility, especially as it is found within the Christian context.  (He even goes so far as to argue that humility is "profoundly Christian," as historians notice a positive use of the word humilitas around the time of Christ, where before it had only been used as a negative character reference.)

While most of his discussion has stuck with me, a few points keep pressing on my mind.  Two, in particular, relate to my musings on mandolin playing and performance.  The first is that humility just makes sense.  Dickson speaks about how those who are experts on any given topic should be the first to admit that since there is so much to know about one little topic, that it's self-evident how much there is to know about every little topic. Humility, by extension, is then a reasonable response.  The more I learn about about playing the mandolin, the more I am aware of what else there is to know.  The more delve into the mandolin and the music around it, the more I become aware of new artists and styles that either exist or are emerging on the scene.

This awareness of the more and the others ties into another point Dickson makes, which is that humility is generative.  That is, a person who is truly humble is generally open to new ideas, and is willing to listen to what others have to say.  Someone who believes s/he knows all there is to know has completely closed his/her mind and heart to learning anything new, which is quite detrimental to the development of the self.

I think about this last point all the time, especially when I find myself in a jamming situation (or in general company) in which I am one of the better pickers.  It can be hard to be open to either criticism or advice, or to even listen with full attention as someone else explains a song or plays a tune in which they are interested.  I have to be very careful that I don't close myself off from what could be a very informative discussion or experience just because I am able to pick faster or more cleanly, or improvise into a solo I don't know.

The truth is, I don't know squat when comes to the wide wide world of mandolins, so I'm better off just shutting up and listening to what others have to say.

I've yet to be the source of my own knowledge.