No source of wisdom is infallible. Stay sharp.

Remember: even sources of genuine wisdom are not infallible. 

I WISH there was such a thing as an infallible source of wisdom. 

But there isn’t. 

I believe there is wisdom in many spiritual traditions and religions. 

But spiritual traditions and religions have historically been very wrong at times— in fact, they’ve behaved unconscionably at times. 

I believe there is wisdom in our gut instincts. 

But our guts are often susceptible to fear, posttrauamtic reactions, and misinformation— just like our brains. They may have wisdom— but they are not always right. 

I believe there is wisdom in what many self-help and personal development teachers teach. 

But there are too many examples to list of self-help figures behaving selfishly or destructively, or teaching things that have been debunked by research. 

No teacher is always right. 

No therapist always knows what you need. 

No institution is immune from making mistakes. 

The reason I’m writing about this is because we ALL need this reminder from time to time. 

It doesn’t matter how smart we are, it doesn’t matter how experienced we are, it doesn’t matter how sophisticated we are: we NEED to be reminded that, no matter how much good stuff we get from any given source, that doesn’t make them always right. 

I’m certainly not always right. 

I make a good faith effort to only say things I think or have evidence to be true— but that just speaks to my intention. It doesn’t necessarily speak to the result. 

A very important question we need to ask of ANY source of wisdom we consume is: does that source— be it a person, an organization, a group, or an institution— acknowledge that they might not always be right? 

How do they react or respond when it’s pointed out that they MIGHT be mistaken? 

Do they acknowledge that, especially when it comes to personal growth, that a one-size-fits-all approach almost never applies equally to everyone? 

As a rule, the more narcissistic an individual or organization is, the less they might have to teach you about creating a life that is meaningful and interesting…specifically, creating a life in which you can handle it when things don’t go your way. 

Narcissistic individuals and organizations don’t handle it well when things don’t go their way. 

They tend to get angry. Because defeats and setbacks aren’t “supposed” to happen to them. 

Remembering that no person or organization has a perfect track record is important when it comes to choosing which personal development products and services you’re going to invest in. 

The truth is, we have to make choices when it comes to where and how to invest our resources. 

Not every product, service, or person is worth our investment. 

We need to be smart and conservative with our resources. We need to protect them, and invest them strategically. 

All I’m saying is: stay sharp. 

You’re worth critically evaluating what you consume and invest in. 

Your progress is important enough to tolerate the inconvenience of doing your homework. 

 

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