Brain Tissue And Scar Tissue

by Michael Manes

A wise friend of mine often talks about brain tissue versus scar tissue. I agree with him that these are the two ways that we learn.

Brain tissue is about schooling: academics, textbooks, and issues of the head. It includes the basic principles, standards, facts, and the rules that frame and sometimes limit our lives.

During a lot of the time people spend in the world of brain tissue, they’re sitting on their backsides listening to a teacher talk about life or reading about someone else’s experiences. The teacher then grades (judges) and posts what each student learned.

This type of learning opportunity is also limited, and the results are inconsistent — some people never learn to read, and others get a Ph.D. The quality of the results can vary because of the talent and focus of the student, facility, textbook, and/or instructor.

All too often, brain tissue learning is about trying to force another person’s knowledge to fit into our own skull. Using our brain tissue is a low-risk activity. It’s life proposed — a thinking thing.

Brain tissue is good. We retain much of what we learn this way or can recall it as it’s needed. It’s the stuff we try to remember.

Scar tissue is about living, trying, failing, and trying again. These are matters of the heart and soul. Much of the value of scar tissue is in the wisdom gained from falling down and the courage gained from standing back up, prepared to fall again.

Scar tissue is more about experiencing life and gaining knowledge from experience. Scar tissue is about implementing what you learned, monitoring the results, and adjusting the process. It’s living — an action thing.

We all have opportunities to build scar tissue. There’s no predetermined age requirement, matriculation date, degree, or passing G.P.A. There are no nontraditional students in this learning process.

With scar tissue, buildings, administrators, and regulations aren’t needed. This learning experience is fully integrated — all the world can participate — and highly individualized — you’re a classroom of one. Admission is free, and every willing student can get their credential from the universally recognized and respected school of hard knocks.

Scar tissue is great. The best lessons learned this way are never forgotten.

Brain tissue gives us a history and a handrail for life. It conveys the who, what, when, where, why, and how of life, what should work, and what probably won’t.

Scar tissue is an observation deck to examine the past and a runway into the future. It’s about risk, excitement, and opportunity. It assures us that it’s only someone’s opinion that 'that’ll never work,' that good and bad things happen, and that Murphy’s Law is very much in force.

Failure only results if you don’t learn from an experience!