Cornerboard Philosophy

There is a practice in manufacturing of using cornerboards to brace boxes on pallets so they don't shift during shipment and to protect pallets from damages.

I had a conversation recently where a friend discussed the importance of diving into Activity as a learning opportunity. This was put in a stronger light when he explained one practical application of the concept: you can have all the knowledge in the world concerning a particular activity or concept, but until you apply it, it's only knowledge. It's in applying it that you learn from your mistakes, dust yourself off and try again with the additional knowledge gained. The thought could be taken one step farther to indicate that unless you are actively taking risks and exposing yourself to failure, you are not living and learning, greatly decreasing the value of your head knowledge.

To a point my friend is right. His assertion is backed up by the likes of Good Will Hunting by Matt Damon and Ben Afleck - Matt Damon's character - and by a The Radical Leap by Steve Farber - surfing and OS!Ms (though "Oh my! Here goes" might be more appropriate). John Maxwell, in Failing Forward, explains the value of risks and poignantly lists characteristics of risk takers vs. those that never fail because they never do anything. One concept that stands out in Failing Forward is the concept of lack of regret for your failures vs. regret over what you did not attempt in trying to avoid failure. John McCain describes this as remorse:

"In the past, I've been able to overcome my own fears because of an acute sense of an even greater fear -- that of feeling remorse. You can live with pain. You can live with embarrassment. Remorse is an awful companion. And whatever the unwelcome consequences of courage, they are unlikely to be worse than the discovery that you are less than you pretend to be" ("In Search of Courage: Finding the courage within you." Fast Company, September 2004, Page 56, By: John McCain).

John McCain also says (same article) that "Courage is like a muscle. The more we exercise it, the stronger it gets."

Looking at this litany of book examples, you might wonder if I exemplify the 'all book, no action' mindset described above. Well, you'd be right (at least in some areas of my life). So, taking up the advice of my friend, today I invited a girl into relationship . . . nothing huge, just an invitation to divulge part of herself to me and for me to risk valuing that and divulging part of myself in return. Sound simple? Well, it is, but I haven't been willing to risk relationship like that in years - not when I'm not assured of some level of success . . . There's always a starting point. In fact, this blog post is an example of an action I've thought about for months without getting up the guts to act on it . . . I hope she responds.

That said, what's the value of all this book knowledge. Contrary to my friend's statements, there are benefits to book knowledge. For one, you learn from the mistakes of others. Secondly, you learn from the successes of others. Third, it can provide a model for behavior and provides an imaginary sounding board for your thoughts. Fourth, it increases perspective on current, past and future life situations. Fifth, it allows you to knowledgeably apply what others have learned from their experiences. This can take two forms: 1) it allows you to recognize what is actually occurring while or after it takes place; 2) it allows you to act, rather than react. The latter, in fact, should be very attractive to those who believe learning from action is key to personal development. How much more would you learn from situations if you were able to apply your book knowledge to situations, real-time (or soon after)? How much more could you learn from situations if you were able to apply what you know to those situations, in retrospect, then prospectively to the next situation? Sixth, it increases discernment (which creates opportunity for action - or the lack thereof).

So why Cornerboard Philosophy? It's the essence of being able to approach situations from the outside, contain them due to preparedness, and protect from unnecessary damage by providing structural support (perspective). Maybe that's stretching it a little bit, but I believe it applies.

On the other hand, maybe that's the very behavior action is meant to guard against? To paraphrase somebody, somewhere: better to have loved and lost, than to have not loved at all. To place that in another light, better to have risked life and love life because of it, than to lose your life an arm chair philosopher, afraid to step into the unknown and the uncertain.

I say strike a balance. Proverbs 4:7 says "The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; and with all your acquiring, get understanding." Maybe book knowledge is one form of acquiring wisdom; but maybe getting understanding requires the refining fires of experience.

Ecclesiastes 10:8-10 helps define this balance:

He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall. He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them. If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success.