"He who knows most knows best how little he knows"

I recently read a book about wine, Reflections of a Vintner: Stories and Seasonal Wisdom from a Lifetime in Napa Valley by Tor Kenward.  Tor Kenward has spent nearly 50 years at the forefront of Napa Valley's wine, food, and tourism industry.  Kenward was drafted and sent to Vietnam during college, and upon returning from his tour of duty, he realized that life was too short and that he only wanted to do things that brought him joy.  That pursuit of joy eventually brought him to Napa Valley, California, where he worked for several years at Beringer Vineyards as their designated "Vice President of all the Fun Stuff" (perhaps his description of what he did, not theirs).  He and his wife Susan launched TOR Wines in the early 2000's, where he continues to make outstanding wines today.  The book is part memoir, part reflection on the wine industry in general, and part words of wisdom for anyone looking for how to live a better life.

There was one theme that Kenward kept repeating throughout the book.  What's amazing is that if you weren't paying attention, you would have easily missed it.  He kept repeating the sentiment that the older he got, the more he became aware of the less that he really knew.  At some point, he finally offered a statement that I think is absolutely one of the most profound statements on wisdom that I have ever heard.  Seriously.  Kenward said, "The wisdom that comes from age is misrepresented. You just forget more of what you already know."

On the surface, Kenward's statement sounds a lot like a self-deprecating statement describing how you forget a lot of what you have learned as you grow older.  And while that is true up to a point, I think Kenward's meaning is much deeper.  The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates described wisdom in a similar way, stating, "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing" (incidentally, I used this exact quote in a post several years ago that also discussed something that I call the "Analogy of the Marbles").  True wisdom begins when we recognize the boundaries of our own understanding.  Here, wisdom is finally attained when we recognize what we do not know.  

I am also reminded of a movie quote from the Jedi Master Yoda, from the original Star Wars trilogy.  Yoda said, "You must unlearn what you have learned."  True wisdom is finally achieved when we recognize that the only path to learning is by setting aside our rigid habits, assumptions, notions, and preconceived limits.  Yoda's definition of wisdom is more active than passive here.  We actually need to let go some of the knowledge that we have acquired over time, so that we can move forward to learn and acquire new knowledge.

I enjoyed reading Kenward's book.  Admittedly, as you have no doubt recognized, I enjoy learning (and posting) about wine!  My most important takeaway from the book, however, had absolutely nothing to do with wine, but rather wisdom.  Unlearn what you have learned.  Recognize that you can't know everything.  Thomas Jefferson reportedly said, "The wise know too well their weakness to assume infallibility; and he who knows most knows best how little he knows."