A Wisdom Hunter's Playbook
Where Real Learning Happens and Comfort Zones Go to Die
Hi Club,
Sometimes I forget there’s a difference between knowledge and wisdom. It’s the difference of harnessing my need to know random facts after realizing I’ve spent three hours researching the psychology of jet lag’s effect on creativity when I originally just wanted to know what time zone I’d be landing in.
My curiosity gets the best of me, and I’ve tumbled down so many rabbit holes that I’ve forgotten what I was looking up in the first place. It’s probably why I haven’t fully invested in figuring out my relationship with AI. Yes, I know we’re all figuring it out, but I’ve been dragging my feet, disguised as “research” and “learning,” not doing, trying, and trying again.
This hit me like a ton of academic journals when I was designing the Wisdom Hunter stamp. Because there’s a massive difference between being a knowledge collector and being a Wisdom Hunter.
The Wisdom Hunter stamp is part of the Knowledge & Experience pillar. For more information about the framework, see THIS POST.
Not sure if you are a Wisdom Hunter? Find YOUR Places Stamp HERE.
Want more Wisdom Hunter basics? See HERE.
Download the Wisdom Hunter Planner & Journal at the bottom of the post!
You Might Be a Wisdom Hunter
Sure, like me, you collect knowledge and ideas. But not just any knowledge. You’re drawn to places that help you think differently: a conversation with a local expert, an exhibit that explains one of your interests, or learning from a tour guide. These moments are why you seek out places and experiences.
You understand that the best parts of a place are the new ideas, perspectives, and understanding you gain. Whether you’re exploring an old fort or a cutting-edge science center, you know that every place has lessons to teach.
You have a gift for finding the educational value in every experience. Your favorite places feed your curiosity and expand your understanding of the world.
But here’s where Wisdom Hunters level up from knowledge collectors:
The Psychology Behind the Hunt
Research shows that people with a growth mindset (those who believe abilities can be developed) are more likely to seek out challenging experiences and learn from failure. Wisdom hunters embody this perfectly. You understand that intelligence isn’t fixed, that struggle indicates growth, and that the best learning happens at the edge of your comfort zone.
Wisdom hunters also get that truth can be relative. In sessions with clients, I often share that there are actually six truths in any conversation (what you want to convey, what you think you conveyed, what was heard, then multiply by two for the other person). The same can be true of experiences. You’re not just collecting facts about a place, you’re understanding the deeper stories, the multiple perspectives, and the human truths that a place can impart.
The Professional Student Syndrome
If I could, I’d be a professional student. My husband jokes that I’d still be “in school” if it paid a livable wage. College football season gives me that same vibe: the excitement of shared purpose, grand buildings, and age-old institutions.
But I’m not partial to just book learning. Having helped Career and Tech Ed students, I know work-based learning, internships, apprenticeships, and certifications take total effort and commitment. Wisdom can come from getting your hands dirty and advancing into professions that don’t yet exist.
I’m about to share some places that have stretched my perspective, sharpened my discernment, and helped me make peace with not knowing everything. Tell me if you’ve been to any of these game-changers, or if they’re now calling your name.
Traditional Learning Temples
Trinity College, Dublin
The Book of Kells and Long Room Library: basically heaven’s reading room. Walking through those towering shelves is like stepping into a cathedral of human knowledge. It felt more like a pilgrimage moment than a tour. I just stood there, soaking up the magnitude of the scale of knowledge that exists. It’s amazing to think that some questions have been asked for centuries, and it hit me how some human achievements transcend their original time and purpose.
Trade Training Centers
These places hum with learning energy, just as powerful as any ivory tower. Here, wisdom comes from understanding that every light switch, HVAC system, plumbing line, structural beam, and power grid depends on someone who has learned not just theory but the reality of their craft through hands-on experience.
I loved watching a student who slept through English class come alive when learning to wire a circuit breaker. The trades taught me that wisdom comes when interest meets initiative. I won’t go into the full spectrum of the trades, but just to say, don’t be a knowledge snob, thinking professional learning is book learning. There’s profound satisfaction in creating something tangible, in solving problems with your hands, in going home knowing exactly what you accomplished that day.
BTW, support your local trade unions! And if you get a chance to mentor or support trade education, do it. These students are learning skills that society can’t survive without.
Places Where Learning and Exploring Collide
I have an affinity for tough jobs that I’d never actually do. Here are three callings that fascinate me, and when I got a chance to go live in their shoes for a day, I took it.
Water Jobs
Water on its own: fascinating. Throw in water-based professions and I’m caught in the undertow of admiration. Here’s a couple I got caught up in from US shorelines.
Pacific: Watching Bar Pilots rendezvous with massive container ships in Astoria, OR had me absolutely captivated. When I happened upon their training day, I became so transfixed that not even a kraken surfacing could have torn my gaze away. These experts navigate some of the world’s most tricky waterways, reading currents and taking risks that are truly impressive.
Atlantic: Peeking in on ship simulators while at the Maritime Conference Center in Maryland was like entering another dimension. Watching training on vessels of every size had me so absorbed that I left half-convinced that I was a tugboat captain in a previous life.
Don’t get me started on the mystery that is a lock system: Scotland’s Caledonian Canal and Fort Myers, Florida’s Franklin Lock, each with locks so majestic and functional they feel like watching giants perform ballet. Water doesn’t care about your schedule, but if you understand its rules, it’ll lift your boat 20 feet like it’s nothing.
Military Academies
I haven’t hit them all yet, but the Air Force and Naval academies are sure impressive. The precision, tradition, and understanding that knowledge literally means life or death put things in perspective. Graduation ceremonies full of ritual and accomplishment are something to behold, like the hat toss and fly-overs at the Air Force Academy. These aren’t just celebrations; they’re declarations that these young people are ready to carry responsibilities most of us can’t imagine.
Space Camp
In Huntsville, AL, we lucked out staying at the on-site RV park and I had a front row seat to some spectacular failures. I cheered for rockets that barely cleared the launch pad, others that went sideways, a few that just sat there making sad fizzing sounds. But nobody gave up and everyone’s attempt was supported. Afterward, they’d huddle around the wreckage like tiny rocket scientists, analyzing what went wrong. Their enthusiasm was infectious enough to make this middle-aged therapist seriously consider applying to NASA.
More Mind Expanders (Where Wisdom Wears Hair Nets)
Factory Tours That Changed My Perspective
Learning what goes into some of my favorite edible products put a new spin on my appreciation. These places taught me that wisdom often comes disguised as repetition, precision, and a caring attention to detail.
Food Production:
Tillamook Cheese: Watching curds become aged cheddar taught patience and process.
Date Farms: I’ll never take another date for granted after seeing what goes into every single one to reach an edible state.
Beverage Education:
Guinness Storehouse: That cascade effect isn’t marketing, it’s science.
Celestial Seasonings: The peppermint room clears your sinuses and perspective.
Chocolate/Candy Operations:
There are too many to name, but I could watch a taffy puller all day. Something meditative about watching chaos become order, sugar become art. Hershey’s with kisses on lampposts. Pure joy.
Retirement Village Learning
Wisdom doesn’t retire. I’ve learned so much about the hobbies and pastimes of a well-rounded life from the 55+ communities we’ve stayed at on our travels. They’ve mastered every card game possible, and regional favorites are always lessons in local culture. They know learning doesn’t stop. Any age is never too late. These folks don’t mess around, a few of my favorite teachers:
Stained Glass Artists: Turning broken pieces into beauty
Quilters: Creating warmth from scraps and squares
Woodworkers: Shaping something lasting from something living
Dance Class Instructors: Clogging, line dancing, Zumba, really every form of movement as joy and I’m there.
Water Cycling Crews: Because you should be allowed to bike anywhere.
Where Animals Teach Us
Animal Sanctuaries:
I love a sanctuary that protects and cares for the tired and injured, ultimately releasing them back to their lives. These places where humans lend a hand to our animal brethren tug at my heart and teach me so much about what it means to be a steward of this world. I’ll spare you the details of every stop, just give you a few and some catchy phrases to spark your curiosity.
Birds of Prey Centers: Rehabilitation teaches resilience
Wolf Sanctuaries: Pack dynamics; the ultimate in etiquette and hierarchy
Wild Horse Encounters: Freedom and conservation complexity
Manatee Winter Havens: Renewable energy meets preservation
Butterfly Sanctuaries: Transformation made visible
My Wisdom To-Do’s (Have You Been?)
We’ve come to the part where I share my list of to-dos and would so love your thoughts, insights and tips. Yes, this is the interactive part!
Behind-the-Scenes Access: I want to see the BIG operations! (Which means I may be a bit lofty here.)
Broadway Productions
Music Festivals
Movie Lots
News Control Rooms
Professional Sports Draft Rooms
Innovation Frontlines: They look impressive online, but I’m ready for IRL.
Googleplex tour
Apple Park Visitor Center
Microsoft campus experience
Robot competitions (they’re aiming for humanoids to beat FIFA champions by 2050)
The Wisdom Hunter’s Contribution
Dear Wisdom Hunters,
Your drive to expand and learn inspires us all to reach for our greatest potential. You help bridge the unknown, knowing that wisdom comes from facing fear, being okay with faltering, and pushing through challenges.
You understand personal growth comes in increments worth the patience to keep going, even when it’s tough. You know innovation’s power and what it takes to be on the cusp of something new.
Knowledge is beautiful, necessary and fascinating. But you know wisdom happens when you take that knowledge and do something with it. You have stopped researching how to live and have started actually living.
So yes, fall down those research rabbit holes (they’re fun!), but remember to climb back out and apply what you’ve learned. Continue to push us to visit places that make us uncomfortable, ask questions that might make us look silly, and remember that the best education often happens when you’re not even trying to learn.
Please keep pushing us to get uncomfortable to get wise. The world needs more people who don’t just collect information but transform it into insight, action, and maybe even a little magic.
Keep hunting,
Natalie
P.S. - If you know of any amazing behind-the-scenes tours, factory visits, or unique learning experiences, send them my way. This wisdom hunter is always ready for the next adventure.
Want to expand your Wisdom Hunting abilities? Please download the Planner & Journal below.
