Hair today, gone tomorrow

Funny title, I know. A play on words of "here today, gone tomorrow". A different word in place of the word "here", yet sounding similar, brings the astute listener to balk, giggle, or laugh at you for your dumb grin as you attempt to bask in your self-made glow of whatever brilliance you think the pun may have created for you. Nevertheless, there is meaning here. There is innovation here in the phrase "here today, gone tomorrow". Think about it.

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I take it you didn't think about it. Give it a go.

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Again, you didn't think about it, even after I told you to think about it. Fine, if not for me, do it for yourself; think about the phrase "here today, gone tomorrow" and decide where the innovation enters into the construct of this blog.

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That was a test. Did you pass? Did you pass in the light in which you want to be perceived by others? It's simple. If you actually spent time thinking about it, you are intuitive, curious, and likely, innovative. You challenge what you know. You challenge what others know. And most importantly, you challenge and try to change the "way things have always been done."

If you didn't take time to think about it you are either lazy, feeling lazy today, reading strictly for entertainment, or simply found this blog on accident.

Consistent readers of this blog should have an inkling as to where I am going with this. New readers will likely think that I have an idea that will knock Rogaine or hair restoration treatment out of the park. Super new readers will likely think I have an idea about laser hair removal. Ahh, but the long-term, extended reader will see through all of that. There is a bigger picture here, because sometimes a title is just a title.

The big picture: Innovation. Where does innovation come from? There is only one answer. A simple, one word answer. Psychologists got together a long time ago and tried to come up with a word to describe it. They succeeded in landing on the word "cognition". This word essentially means thought, the process of thought, mental action.

Cognition is the driver of innovation. Without our ancestors being able to employ cognitive thought they would have never developed language, civilization, or life as we know it today. The fun is that everyone can experience (albeit at varying levels) cognition.

So Steven, why are we talking about this in your blog?

Because I am simply amazed at our abilities to continually press forward, to never be satisfied with what we have, know, or are developing. We are in a constant state of progress. Some progress when viewed at the project level probably isn't as economical when compared to other projects, but it's progress.

Sadly, there are limitations. Unfortunately, not every bit of knowledge is pass on to the next generation. Knowledge, and better still an understanding of how to react in certain situations per leaning on past experience is cause for growing pains that the future generations need to go through. Some say growing pains is how the future generation learns such that they become perceived as being more learned, more experienced than the next. Historically sure, but not so much for this blogger in the age of information.

A great author once wrote in a book, The Kykuit Bunker, in presenting a character that happens to be the curator of the Rare Books and Special Collection at the United States Library of Congress:

“I believe this library is one of the greatest resources available to mankind. The information we have within these walls is truly the human record, what little piece of it we as human beings have been able to create, collect, and preserve.” The curator was speaking with immense pride for being a part of such a grand effort, and for being in the prestigious position he held. 

What if, we as humans could fully share our knowledge and thoughts while having others learn, comprehend, and recall everything we transmitted? Nothing would be lost. Past growing pains would subside. An appreciation of knowledge would be global and universal. 

As a result, I propose something greater than Wikipedia. We need a download and save function of cognitive thought. A record of everything and an efficient method of searching through it. The World Wide Web isn't it, not now anyway. I am confident that some day, the neuron connections that are sparked every day, which build a frame of reference from which you can make decisions, will become holistic, omniscient, and awesomely powerful. 

Until then, make sure you read this last paragraph twice.

The uber depressing part about this post is inevitability: we all won't be here tomorrow. What's here today, is truly gone tomorrow. Share yourself for you never know when "tomorrow" will turn into your "gone tomorrow". Be the person that challenges. Be the developer. Be innovative. 

-Steven Janke