Malcolm Gladwell, author of Outliers, gave us a new language to understand “expertise” and the “study of” a subject.  I found it fascinating to think about the subjects that I had dedicated that kind of time to.

While we may gain wisdom and consciousness through the study of ourselves over a lifetime, we also become more concluded about who we think we are.  I hear it lots of times, “It’s just the way I am.”  Or, “I know what I’m good at and what I’m not.”  Maybe even, “I’ve learned my lessons through my experiences, I know what I’m doing now”.

Think about spending 10,000 hours to:

1. Learn how to protect our vulnerabilities.
2. Perfect behavioral strategies for getting what we want.
3. Prove that we’re right about how we’ve chosen to live.
4. Decide who to blame for the pain and suffering in our lives.
5. Develop a communication style that ensures that we are in control of the interaction.

The more hours we invest in our internal schooling.

The more skilled we become at protecting, defe...