Ignorance is Costly: Be Curious

I was wandering around the famous Mitsukoshi department store in Ginza district in Tokyo in April. Engaged in one of my eating and cookie/pastry buying sprees. At every stand & place I went to, they asked me whether I had a card or even wanted one. I was like whatever. 

But as I was walking out I saw a sign that said as a foreigner I could get a special card for a pretty good discount on everything there. Duh? Double duh as I am a cheap deal hunter. So it bugged me. I like a deal as much as the next guy, even more so considering how much I spent there. (It was A LOT btw). 

But the quick lesson is ignorance is costly. This is not just about shopping or deal hunting. 

Thinking you know it all is damn expensive. This is about life in general. Ignorance of a language, a country's customs, about how a company or even an industry works, will eventually hurt you. Not understanding human behavior is even more dangerous. This leads to fights both physical and emotional. 

We all have gaps in our knowledge and experience, we start off as blank slates. It’s a good thing so it means we can shape where our lives go. It’s impossible to know everything in such a wide world that is changing all the time. 

How do you fight this and get better? Have some humility and acknowledge you are ignorant. And work your ass off trying to learn as much as you can from books, other people and your own experiences. Even better, be genuinely curious about the world around you. That’s been the most universal trait that I see in those most successful.