Ok, guys. I’m going to admit something really big here. Like, I’ve never admitted this to anyone before, and I really considered not leading with this little tidbit about myself in this post because it’s so damn embarrassing. But in the interest of honesty, here it goes:
In college I never joined a single study group because I was convinced that I was so much smarter than my classmates that they would have nothing to offer me.
How cringe-worthy is that? How hard are you judging me right now? It’s ok if you are. I’m judging my 20-year-old self pretty hard, too.
So now you all know that I used to be a really, really arrogant young lady. I’m ok with that because I’ve been knocked off my intellectual high horse many times since then and I’ve learned that I’m definitely not as smart as I thought I was. There will probably be a million typos in this post to prove that point. ‘Nuff said.
But as I read some of the posts around the personal finance blogosphere these days, I’m seeing a lot of my old self in the tone and content of the writing that’s out there. That is, I’m seeing a lot of arrogance. It seems that some people are so deeply entrenched in their approach to their finances that they can’t see that might be overlooking something, or that maybe they should reconsider their views about a particular financial issue.
So hear this personal finance enthusiasts: you don’t know everything, and even if you do, you’re applying that “knowledge” to your experience, and your experience alone. Get outside your own head for a few minutes. It’s good for all of us to be taken to task about our financial attitudes and practices every so often. What’s the worst that can happen if you take a second look at say, your net worth calculation, because a reader challenges you? You have to do some math over again, end up being right, and get to spend the evening basking in your own smugness? Seriously, how awful is that?
Look, all I can say is this: I know that I missed out on a lot of good information by refusing to join study groups in college, perhaps even a few GPA points. Learn from my mistake. Don’t miss out on trying out great financial tips because you think you’re so awesome that you have nothing left to learn.
I love you guys, but let’s all take the weekend off from taking ourselves so seriously, ok?
