Richard H. Ryder, 2017
Maven is derived from the Hebrew word “mevin”, meaning “one who understands based on an accumulation of knowledge”.
According to Malcolm Gladwell in his book The Tipping Point, Mavens are socially motivated. They are not content with just accumulating knowledge; they want to share it, not to brag, but to improve others. Their knowledge is wide and they like to initiate conversation. Mavens don’t necessarily accumulate knowledge for the mere act of learning; they accumulate knowledge in order to spread it. Mavens are socially motivated. They want to solve other people’s problems, possessing the knowledge and social skills to start a word-of-mouth epidemic. They are effective not just for what they know, but how they spread it. It is this very social motivation that allow Mavens to draw the attention of others.
When you think about your Masonic journey through the three degrees it is a progression of learning experiences that represents the accumulation and application of acquired knowledge. In our daily lives, professionally and personally, we should all strive to be mavens in areas of interest and professional development. This is particularly true for us as Masons. The more knowledge we accumulate the better we can apply the tenets of brotherly love, relief, and truth.