You’re Not Lost! You’re Just Updating Your Map
When was the last time you gave yourself permission to change your mind?
The Map of You: How We Grow is How Science Grows
Thought experiment…
Let’s think of our own lives as a process of map-making.
Each of us has an internal “map” of the world: a map of what’s true, what’s important, what’s cool, and how to be a good person. And just as the scientific map of reality is constantly updated with new evidence, this personal map is as well.
I’m talkin’ pre-Magellan type shit.
Your “Personal Map” of What’s Cool 🕺
Let’s use your example of an ‘80s craze. I realize some of you may have a different decade to draw from, but this, to me, is the most cringe.
The First Draft (Your Teenage Map): In 1985, your map for “What is Cool” was drawn with the best data you had available. This data came from your friends, music television, and magazines. Based on this evidence, the map clearly showed that neon leg warmers, huge shoulder pads, and big, sprayed hair were the peaks of Mount Cool. I’m thinking, Mötley Crüe and at that moment, that map was incredibly accurate and helpful in navigating your social world.
New Data and Revisions (Your Adult Map): Decades later, you have gathered a massive amount of new data. You’ve experienced different fashion trends, developed your own personal style, and your cultural context has completely changed. Your new, updated map of “What is Cool” (or maybe it’s now “What I Like”) looks completely different.
While some view their youth with nostalgia, I tend to see mine through a lens of critique. Yet, I’m forced to question whether I’m judging a ‘wrong’ person or simply a different one.
Where I Was, to Become Who I Am
You understand that you were operating ideally based on the information you had. You might chuckle, but you recognize it as a step in your development.
This is precisely how science works. We don’t look back at Isaac Newton’s laws of motion and call him “wrong.” His map was incredibly accurate for the known world and is still used to send probes to Mars! But when new data emerged from studying things that are very fast (like light) or very massive (like black holes), we needed to update the map with Einstein’s theories of relativity.
This —— > Newton’s physics wasn’t wrong; it was an incomplete-but-brilliant draft, just like your 80s fashion sense was.
Growing Wiser, Not Just “Right”
This parallel teaches us something profound about both science and life:
It’s about progress, not perfection. The goal isn’t to create a final, perfect map that will never change. The goal is to create a more and more valuable and accurate map as we go.
Humility is key. Recognizing that our current understanding might be incomplete is what allows us to grow. A person who thinks they have it all figured out stops learning. A field of science that declares itself “finished” stops discovering.
Changing your mind is a strength. When presented with new, compelling evidence, changing your perspective isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of wisdom and integrity. It shows that you are more committed to the truth than to being “right.”
So, science isn’t a rigid book of facts. It’s the living, breathing story of humanity collectively updating its map of the universe. And personal growth is the story of you updating your own personal map of life. Both are journeys of becoming, not a destination of being.
Your Challenge
So here’s a challenge for you: Go back and do something you genuinely loved back in the day. But don’t just do it for fun, embrace it as a tool for growth and let it reignite your excitement for what’s next.
Tell me what it is in the comments.