just like coffee.

To make a good coffee, you need quite  a few things but you at least need some good beans, a good grinder, a good roaster, and some hot water. 

If beans are knowledge, I've met a lot of people with a lot of beans. They get it. They understand. They've read good books, and heard good speeches. They can talk with the best of them. 

The problem with beans is that you then need to roast them - which is not comfortable - grind them - which is not comfortable - and pour hot water over them - which is not comfortable. 

The roasting, the grinding, the hot water - that's what makes the beans actually matter to anyone. That's what takes those good beans and converts them into something that we want. 

There are fewer people who put their knowledge through a roasting, a grinding, and into some hot water to see what they are left with. They are afraid. What if all their beans vanish? What if it doesn't taste good? 

So, they just hold on to the beans. 

Honestly, pretty worthless beans. 

If you're young (often literally, always figuratively), you're more tempted to hold on to your beans, or think your beans are really valuable as they are. And they are valuable.

But only if you let life grind, roast, and burn them. Then that knowledge will matter more to us all. 

We might even want to have a taste.