Bookworm

So much to learn

The more time I spend in college, and reading great literature (and sometimes those corny Oprah's Book Club books, too), the more I realize how little I actually know. It was Thomas Edison who said, "We don't know a millionth of one percent about anything." Sometimes it feels to me like I know even less than the general population knows. As someone who wants to be a journalist, this can be discouraging. Journalists basically have to be an expert on any topic they may be asked to write about. How can I possibly become an expert on everything there is to write about in this world? How can I write about a topic with authority unless I have studied it thoroughly?

Fortunately there are always "experts" that you can quote on things. You can always just quote a doctor when you're talking about a disease. But you still need to know enough about the disease to ask the right questions and converse intelligently. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed about all the things I don't know, and will never have enough time to learn about.

I've been reading some really great books to help me out with this problem. One book I've read recently is "Freakonomics" by Stephen D. Levitt. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to be a journalist or who likes to argue about politics. It really taught me to think outside the box and not accept the most obvious answer to a question.

I also recently read one of those cool books with common "facts" that are actually complete myths. I learned that chameleons don't actually change color to match their background- they change color according to their mood. I love these kinds of books because they make me realize how many things are actually in a "gray" area factually.

As an aspiring journalist, I want to report the truth and know what I'm talking about (or at least sound like I do). I hear that the first step to true wisdom is realizing how little you know. So I'm taking the dive, and admitting it here...

I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!