I shave with a razor blade and a handle, rather than an electric shaver. Making this switch has resulted in a cleaner shave each time, until the blade starts to blunt. Lately, I’ve found myself resistant to switching out the blade, possibly in order to get the most use from the current blade. This results in a more effortful shave, and feeling slightly sore after shaving. All I really need to do is switch out the blade- aka. keep the blade sharp.
How might we be doing this with the skills we pick up? Keeping our skills known and used, though not as sharp as they could be.
Over time, our skills become progressively more blunt, much like a shaving blade. If we don’t keep our skills sharp, this results in a more effortful experience when applying our skills in the world.
When changing out a razor blade in my shaver, I notice the first shave needs to be done with extra care. I got used to shaving with a blunt blade, and now need to take extra care not to cut my face when introducing a very sharp blade.
Like our skills, while they need to remain sharp, it is important to take extra care when introducing newly sharpened skills into the world. Reading a new book brings a wealth of knowledge and information to pour over, though should not be taken verbatim from the book into the real world, without applying the knowledge to your own context. Use this new blade with care, treat it as new and unexplored, and figure out how it applies to your current context.
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