Just Because You’re Young Doesn’t Mean You Can’t Be Wise (Fire From Kyla Scanlon)

Kyla Scanlon has quickly become one of my favorite economic thinkers. If you’re not following her across social media, she’s as funny as she is smart, and you’re missing out.

One critique she gets that I can relate to (OK, that I used to be able to relate to more, at least I have a few grey hairs and more than 10 years of professional experience to point at now), is “you’re too young for this.”

Her answer – it’s so good – you’re going to want to share this with the smartest young person/people you know:

The idea people are too old or too young to do certain things in the era of information is ridiculous because everything is so accessible. And – you’re able to access not only people who do have experience but also limitless amounts of knowledge about it.

Did you catch that? Experience and knowledge are NOT the same things.

When experience helps knowledge, it’s wisdom.

But when experience gets in the way of new knowledge, it can be detrimental to growth (and I’ll generally say a person who attacks your character via agism and not the logic of your arguments has stopped growing and can be ignored).

Knowledge can’t replace experience, but experience is never a prerequisite to knowledge or wisdom.

Make sure the young people in your life know you respect this idea, it’ll mean the world to them.

I know the people who made me feel that way about myself years ago helped shape the trajectory of my life. Even if I could never put it as succinctly as Scanlon.