You never fully learn to read

July 10, 2009

If you believe her agent, Dakota Fanning learned to read at the “tender age of two.”

Of course, we know that’s not true.

In fact, she “began reading” at age two. What’s more, at her current age of 15, she is still learning to read.

Reading isn’t an act you can finish learning. It’s not like riding a bike, where suddenly it clicks and there’s little left to understand.

Instead, it’s a skill that develops with time. You learn new words, propagate sounds and begin, one by one, to understand complex arrangements – letter combinations, sentence structure, etc.

In other words, while you can begin reading at the age of two, you cannot say you’ve ever fully learned to read. Because language constantly changes – and because meanings constantly shift – you’re always learning more.

If you say otherwise, you admit that you’ve stopped learning.

Let’s use another example. Can we say that there’s anyone out there who has completely conquered the world of marketing?

Marketing, which includes advertising and public relations and simple customer service, among other aspects, is just as constantly changing as language itself. Consumers adapt their viewing habits, taking in information in different ways, prioritizing different aesthetics and flocking toward new concepts.

We – as humans – are collectively drawn to new things. It is one of the hallmarks of our species, the ability to recognize new ideas and build upon them. To gain knowledge from our mistakes and move forward with better thinking.

So no. None of us know everything about marketing. It’s hard to admit, but it’s the reason why strong companies continue searching for ideas. Why they build teams who can develop new ideas.

You always stay on the lookout for new products and new voices. You create new opportunities for your clients (like we’ve done with Traffic). You show that, keeping an eye on the industry and learning from new trends is just as valuable as working from the past’s research and methods.

If you say you know everything about marketing, you’re doing yourself – and your clients – a disservice. Because the landscape always changes. Something new comes along.

And to say you already know everything is the same as saying you’ve stopped learning.

By Corey

Filed Under Marketing

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