03.08.08 Finding The Core
The authors of Made To Stick (more on that later) call it the Curse Of Knowledge. We all have something we know well - too well sometimes, it turns out.
The curse of having knowledge on a subject is that with it comes the inability to differentiate between core ideas and peripheral ideas. For instance, I know my wife - better than you, better than almost anyone, better than she does at times. If I had to explain my wife to you in thirty seconds I couldn’t do it. I’d have a hard time distilling her down to a couple bullet points, because of my vast knowledge of her and love for her. It’s all important to me. She’s fascinating! And it’s all worth mentioning.
I’ve been reading about and pondering the beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) for going on four years now. And I’m here in Florida this weekend to talk about them with people who might not know them at. It’s hard to distill them down to a couple bullet points each (there are 8 beatitudes or blessings total). It’s hard to find the core worth communicating when there’s so much swirling around in your head about a subject. And it is a curse.
And this is ironic. The ability to take in a lot of information and analyze it helps a teacher (or anyone) arrive at an answer. But the same ability makes it difficult to communicate that answer succinctly and clearly.
This is my greatest weakness as a communicator: whether in the front yard with friends or on a stage before strangers - - an inability to pick a core idea to communicate from all the stuff that’s fascinating to me. If I don’t communicate it ALL (and who can?) I’m unsatisfied, feeling as if something’s missing, as if I’ve failed.
I’m practicing here this weekend. I’m practicing not saying everything - just saying the core - and living with it.
anne jackson said:
that is the amazing thing is how everyone who hears the core...will be moved uniquely in their own relationship with the spirit.
annie said:
I can relate. I can also testify that practicing does help! And if people want more, they’ll ask a lot of questions.
said:
this is great insight for anyone who spends any amount of time transmitting or discussing ideas and thoughts to others
said:
That sounds like songwriting to me.
Jen said:
As a teacher, I can completely understand. It’s like trying to teach division to my students. Because I understand how number relate to each other and it’s something that I’ve been doing for 20 some odd years, it’s very hard to explain it as a new concept. It’s almost harder to teach it than it was to learn it. I have to think so hard just to get the basics across.
said:
I understand completely. I struggle as an instructor to try to get my point across without causing the confusion that sometimes comes with too much information on a new topic.
I also find it hard to give a simple or short answer to what seems to be a straightforward question. This is why I’m certain many don’t ask me for “wise counsel” more than once.
Beth
Linda Sue said:
One of the many reasons I know I am not gifted by the spirit as a teacher - I tend to build Big Ben when all someone asked was “what time is it?”
alan said:
Not that I’m gonna tell you anything you don’t already know and probably don’t already do Shaun, but certainly when I’m talking to someone about anything to do with God’s Word, I have to ask the Holy Spirit to speak through me the words He wants to be heard. It doesn’t matter how much I practice or if I have the topic down or not. I don’t want my words to be what they hear, just the Holy Spirit’s. We’re the vessel.
Cali Amy said:
as others have said, I struggle in the same thing with my job and sometimes having the patience to realize that even though I told my students something, there were taking in so many new things it’s almost like I didn’t tell them at all.
said:
Well, I was in Destin this weekend and had the great fortune of hearing you, you did an amazing job of preaching the Core, your practice was more like a performance and I know you have done a great job in shaping the life of mine, and my friends lives.
Keep on doing what you do, you truly are amazing for what God is doing through you