I've been doing theater for a long time, so that's something I

When William Jackson Harper said, “I’ve been doing theater for a long time, so that’s something I understand. I’m such a babe in the woods when it comes to TV and film. I’m still learning. It’s exciting,” he spoke with the humility and wonder of an artist who knows that mastery is never final, that the path of learning has no end. In his words lives the spirit of the eternal student, the one who recognizes that to live fully is to remain open to discovery. His confession is not one of weakness, but of strength—for only those who are unafraid to begin again can truly grow. He stands as a reminder that even the seasoned traveler must sometimes walk new roads, and that joy can be found not in knowing, but in learning.

Harper, long a veteran of the stage, found his early identity rooted in the rituals of theater—a world of immediacy, where the actor and the audience breathe the same air, where every gesture must carry the weight of truth in real time. But when he stepped into the realms of television and film, he entered a new universe—one of cameras, edits, and frames, where performance is not continuous but sculpted, where moments are captured and reborn through technology. To call himself a “babe in the woods” is to admit that even a master can be humbled by unfamiliar terrain. Yet it is precisely this humility that keeps his art alive. Like the philosopher who begins each day knowing how little he knows, Harper recognizes that each form of art, like each phase of life, demands a new kind of understanding.

The ancients would have praised such humility as the first virtue of wisdom. Socrates, who was called the wisest of men, declared that his wisdom lay in knowing that he knew nothing. In this same spirit, Harper’s words reflect the courage of one who does not cling to past expertise, but instead steps willingly into uncertainty. Many who achieve mastery cling to it, fearing the vulnerability of inexperience. But those who are truly wise—like Harper—understand that the willingness to be a beginner again is the secret to continual renewal. The one who believes he has arrived ceases to travel; the one who remains a student forever continues to ascend.

His quote also celebrates the excitement of learning—a quality the ancients called eros, the passionate desire for growth and understanding. In theater, Harper had found a rhythm, a world he could command. Yet rather than rest upon his laurels, he sought new challenges, embracing the discomfort of inexperience as a doorway to transformation. This, too, mirrors the great artists of history. Consider Leonardo da Vinci, who, though a master painter, forever called himself an “apprentice to nature.” Each new invention, each new curiosity, was to him a fresh forest of wonder. So it is with Harper: though seasoned, he dares to begin anew, keeping the fire of curiosity alive.

There is a powerful humility in calling oneself a “babe in the woods.” It evokes the image of one wandering through mystery—innocent, uncertain, yet filled with awe. In every human life, there are moments when we find ourselves in new forests: a change of career, a new relationship, an unexpected challenge. Like Harper, we must learn to meet these moments not with fear, but with openness. To be “in the woods” is not to be lost—it is to be surrounded by possibility. The forest of the unknown is the birthplace of wisdom, and the childlike heart, unburdened by pride, is the one that finds the path through it.

In Harper’s journey, we also find the eternal truth of balance between mastery and innocence. Theater gave him structure, confidence, and craft—but it is his willingness to let go of those certainties that breathes life into his next chapter. The great teacher Lao Tzu once wrote, “To be whole, you must first be broken. To be full, you must first be empty.” In embracing the role of the learner again, Harper demonstrates that growth is not linear—it is cyclical. Each mastery must eventually return to humility, and each end is but a beginning in disguise.

So let this wisdom be passed to those who seek greatness: never cease to be a student. Do not cling to what you already know, for knowledge that is not renewed becomes stale, and skill that is not challenged becomes brittle. Whether in art, in work, or in life, remain curious, remain humble, and walk into every new forest with eyes wide open. Let excitement be your compass and learning your path. For as Harper reminds us, the world forever belongs to those who are brave enough to say, “I am still learning.” And in that endless journey, the soul remains forever young.