Whenever I spend a whole day without learning something new about the world, I feel empty.
At the same time, if I do not spend time thinking deeply about something, I also feel empty.
This is a duality that I suspect a lot of people struggle to satisfy in their lives. It is a classic breadth vs. depth issue. How do I satisfy my desire to know? Do I fill my head with as many different things as I can, or do I spend time dwelling on one thing?
I do not have a perfect answer to this question, and I am not sure that there is one. My inclination, however, is to err on the side of depth. I say this despite being a huge proponent of constantly expanding horizons and desiring to be a renaissance man. Let me explain.
There is a danger in letting ourselves be bombarded by constant information. This is cleverly disguised by podcasts, Twitter, and the media to give us the impression that we are becoming well-rounded. There is no doubt that those can be great resources, but it is a fallacy to believe that the more information you take in, the more well-rounded you become. Without leaving time to think about the topics, you will never develop the depth to hold any of these thoughts yourself. You are reduced to a mirror, reflecting the views and knowledge of others when you do not do the hard work of thinking yourself. I wrote a post earlier this year on the topic of podcasts and thinking that you can find here.
It is a delicate balance to seek out enough variety in one's life to adequately stretch the mind while also digging deep enough to adequately exercise the mind. One practical step that I have found in my life is to focus on one theme each day. If I try to cram a lot of new topics into one day, it does not go well. I do not enjoy bouncing from topic to topic without any connective thread. I have found, however, that focusing on a single issue can also become tedious and at times counter-productive. Thus, on my best days, I focus on one theme or topic and try to dive into as many facets of it as I can. There is a connective thread that allows me to continue diving deeper into an issue and adding complexity, nuance, and particularities to my understanding.
I am not convinced that this strategy will necessarily work for everyone, but I do know that your life will be better if you develop a strategy to deal with the breadth vs. depth issue. Take time to analyze how you think, what satisfies you, and what leads you to breakthroughs.
The unexamined life is not worth living - Socrates