There's a maxim I like from the stoic philosopher Epictetus: "We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak."
It鈥檚 a phrase I鈥檝e been thinking about a lot lately, as I wrestle with how little I actually know about things.
The modern philosopher, country singer Alan Jackson, once said 鈥淭he older I get, the less I know.鈥�
Why am I quoting Alan Jackson and Epictetus in this essay, you ask?
That鈥檚 because the last two 鈥淪ound of Ideas Community Tour鈥� events that I worked on here at 精东影业 made me realize just how little I know, and more importantly how lucky I am to get to absorb all sorts of knowledge from this job on daily basis.
I had preconceived notions about the growth of artificial intelligence before our newsroom decided to tackle the topic of AI during our 鈥溇耙� Explores鈥� series last month.
My thoughts and judgments shifted, and some evaporated, as I learned more about the topic. My assessment now lies somewhere between 鈥渢he sentient robots will soon kill us all鈥� and 鈥淎I is just a tool like any other.鈥� It will continue to evolve as I learn more.
On March 3, the 鈥淪ound of Ideas鈥� the Community Tour visited the terminal of Burke Lake Front Airport to examine its future.
The room was packed with attentive and engaged residents. They heard from an enthusiastic Mayor Justin Bibb, who wants to close the airport, as well as skeptics and those who argue that Burke needs to stay open.
The potential closure of Burke has been discussed in Cleveland for decades. I鈥檝e been aware of the airport and its use by private jets (I don't have one), as well as the Cleveland National Air Show (I have attended). But that was really it.
I鈥檓 much more aware of the nuances of what it would take to close the airport, what could be built on the land and what can't, the machinations that would need to occur to close it and some of the economic factors in such a big move.
Listeners to WKSU can hear me on air every so often, and that鈥檚 fun. But being able to close my one mouth, and open my two ears may be the best part of my job.
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