December 7Human Discovery
Nature is the best dictionary and school of eloquence; genius the pupil of sun and stars, woodlands, waters, the fields, the spectacle of things seen under all aspects, in all seasons and moods. Blot these from his vision, and the scholar's page were of small account. Letters show pale and poor from inside chambers and halls of learning alone.
Amos Bronson Alcott—Concord Days (1872)
Amos Bronson Alcott was an innovative educator and Louisa May Alcott's father. Concord Days is a memoir of sorts relating his time spent with Emerson, Hawthorne, and Thoreau.
The primary thrust of today's reading holds some sage advice for entrepreneurs: “Letters show pale and poor from inside chambers and halls of learning alone.”
Our best ideas on paper or in some digital form are nearly worthless from an economic standpoint until informed by human discovery. Never underestimate how far your “sure thing” can miss the mark. You will likely live, breathe, think, and feel every element of your ideas before they ever enter the scope of consideration for those you wish to influence.
It's not a bad thing; it just means you've got to get out there and test your ideas, discover what connects, what needs more explanation, what makes no sense at all. You can't do this in study hall; this task asks you to look someone in the eye and feel their response.
Today, it's possible to build a successful business without any human interaction whatsoever—something just a generation ago ...
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