Time, culture, and experience transform words and their meaning.

This can be quite confusing, especially when people don’t make themselves aware of the possibility that they are using different definitions.

At the same time, it also can be challenging to make people aware of the fact that there is a different definition.

For years I’ve been experiencing this challenge with the word marketer. Every time I’ve been coaching in a session of The Marketing Seminar, I would meet two groups of people. Those quickly making themselves aware of the possibility that a teacher, Seth Godin, can use his own definition of the word marketer and those focusing on the definition they had learned previously.

It showed me how confronting engaging in learning can be. Learning asks us to accept that our existing knowledge may be transformed.

We must stay aware of the fact that such transformation can threaten too many of our existing beliefs. In that case, sticking to the assumed understanding becomes the only place from which the learning can start.