| >"How do you know all this stuff?" I've sometimes been asked this from friends and colleagues, when I've talked about some subject that I happen to know something about, be it electronics or plumbing or bicycle repair or baking or sound mixing. I absolutely do not claim to be an expert or master in any field, but I do have reasonable knowledge and familiarity, as well as an unceasing desire to learn more. Being a "knowledge sponge" and constantly curious about the world is a hallmark of geekdom to me. As is the willingness to try, fail and try again, and learn from it. My parents made sure to instill these values, so I was naturally helped into the geek mindset. My mom is a teacher and naturally curious about everything, she's a popular science enthusiast, if such a thing exists. My dad is what used to be called a "radio mechanic", and has never been afraid to take on DIY tasks of any kind, and involve me in them. In general hobbies have always been important in my family. My uncle assembles his own racing bikes and has hand-built several wooden kayaks, just as an example. Maybe not everyone has taken the same way into greatly expanded general knowledge, but I like to think a lot of us have this desire to learn new things. The real trick is to know the limits of your knowledge, and to admit when you hit them ;-) |