“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
This quote is by poet, singer, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou. When I first read it, I thought of two things: the importance of trying to do the best we can in everything we do and the fact that we are continually adding to what we know, both when we purposely add to our knowledge such as by reading and also that we learn as we go about each day taking in information through what we see, hear, come into contact with, and so on.
We all have qualities, abilities, and talents. What those are and the extent to which they are developed varies from person to person. But whatever they are, they can help us to try to do our best. Qualities such as patience, empathy, and generosity, including being generous with our time, help us to assist and to have positive interactions with others. Making an effort to do well at our jobs and when doing other essential activities, rather than being lazy and doing the minimum necessary, is another way we endeavor to do our best. Putting time and effort into growing in consciousness is an especially valuable way to try to do our best.
Angelou’s words “until you know better” cause me to think about how it is that we come to “know better.” Much of what we knew during our childhood years was that which we were taught by our parents and other adults, things like what was right and what was wrong, what we should or should not do, and so on. At least as influential, and perhaps more so, was what we learned by observing the behavior modeled by our parents and other adults and also by children who were older than we were.
In early adulthood, the basis of much of what we know is what we learned as children. But ideally when we are adults that which we know broadens through the influence of other people, through reading, from our jobs, and from our many life experiences, including unexpected happenings. Sometimes we “know better” only after we realize we made a mistake. We learn from it and move on. Throughout our lives the way we approached various situations and tasks was based on what made sense to us at that time—the time before we “knew better.” After having had more experiences, some of those earlier approaches no longer applied. And this continues throughout the rest of our lives.
Finally, as Angelou says, we are able to “do better” than we did before because of the knowledge we have gained during our life journey. We grow toward our potential and live more purposeful lives by expanding upon what we know, being open to new ideas and approaches, and making changes in positive ways. And as we become more conscious, we are more able to discern the guidance of our inner voice and to act on that guidance—thus, to “do better.” Through growing in consciousness we become more genuine and individuated persons who help to make our world a better place.