Knowledge- The Limiting Factor?

Here I start with a very small anecdote about my friend, his name was Knowledge. All respected him because of his easy grasp of all information. All seemed fine with him until one day he came to know that people behind his back were all calling him by different names (barring me), as days passed by he became aware of all the names he was called by:

Kooky
Nerdy
Oddball
Wobbly
Lackadaisical
Empirical
Deranged
Gauche
Egregious

These names were invented to explain his actions with some finding him isolated, boring, crazy at times, careless and shy. Till now he had always been aware of what only he thought of himself, but now hearing what others think of him, he was worried.

We have so often heard that Knowledge is perhaps the most important thing to all of us. There are infinite places that you will find having written about the importance. I am not going to contradict that ever, but is it all green grass on this side of the fence? Does knowledge have some limitations? Yes, I do feel it has.
You might have seen during your younger age, cartoons which showed that, the lack of knowledge of gravity, allowed one to walk high in the air with no physical support, which is actually not possible, but still, in a similar fashion knowledge does draw some unexpected boundaries...

Am I going to put knowledge in new light? No!

Knowledge can sometimes be inconvenient. For example: In my country, it has been common to eat fast/ junk food sold near the road-side for at least many decades, but of recent this has been reducing. Partly it's because people have come to know that these foods are unhealthy in various ways. This has caused people who used to eat the same food near the same road side shop/ cart to stop eating that anymore, or even if they eat their stomach's have become more sensitive to these foods due to these occasions becoming rare occurrences.

Knowledge leads to a confused state of mind as we are spoiled for choices. These days, there are innumerable sources for gaining additional knowledge, but many end up being contradicting. This does not mean that knowledge should be put away by all. It only becomes the job of the receiver to sieve through them (the choices) and decide which path to follow. For example, some say dieting helps in reducing weight but others say it does not. At the end, this has been argued about a lot, but at the end it is hard to argue the basic fact that exercise can healthily bring down one's weight or at least keep it constant.

For those of you reading this article too, some might find it in contradiction to what they believe in, but in places like this it becomes important to know that though there are many ways to interpret information, there are only some ways which actually give out the intended meaning. In this case, I am not castigating knowledge, but just approaching it from a slightly different viewpoint.

As can be seen here, knowledge can become a limiting factor unless properly chosen, used and interpreted. This knowledge molds all of us into what we are, and hence knowledge becomes all the more important and is the deciding factor making each of us unique in what we are. This topic though hasn't been given its due as it will require pages upon pages to describe its true effect but I hope I have done justice with this minimal space that I have used.

3 wise men

This story is set in the old world. 3 men were travelling on horses, armed with swords, knives and bows and arrows, in search of (in this case) someone. There was something unique about the three; one was deaf, second was blind and the last was dumb. The weather was at its gruesome worst, with the lands all around snowed in, hence making it difficult to see. As they pass a few dead trees, the one last, hears the twang of a bow, and immediately takes avoidance action, hence saving himself. All 3 of them then set in the direction of the attack in search of the elusive foe. Due to the poor conditions, they were still in search a few hours later. Hungry and tired, they finally reach a log cabin and see some smoke coming out of the chimney.

Though it is dark inside (with just a same light source, probably a candle), they are comforted by the sight. They knock on the door, only to find an old woman being the lone resident of that cabin. The warm hospitality of the old woman leads them to lower their defenses as they enjoy a good meal and get ready to take rest. The old lady is bemused as all but one of them had not spoken a word yet. When she does ask one of them, if they are ready to sleep, she doesn’t receive a prompt response, except for a curt nod from the same man, giving her the feeling that the other 2 do not have their listening and talking senses. Seeing that they are making themselves comfortable, she assumes that they are all along the same thought pattern. After they seemingly go to sleep, she waits an extra precautionary 10 minutes before advancing to the back door and opening it. Standing in the cold outside, is none other than her son, and the same man whom the 3 were in search of. Ready with an axe, he advances to the man who supposedly had spoken and heard (pointed out by the mother), considering him to be the greatest threat. All lights are off as he raises and brings down the axe only to hit a pile of pillows. From the darkness, the twang of a bow is heard and then he falls down dead.

This story is an analogy. The 3 men depict 3 wise men that are in search of knowledge. Knowledge is not always the easiest thing to find. Many times there are obstacles to obtaining that knowledge, in this case the old lady. Sometimes, it is even tempting to forego the search, as is indicated with the comfortable ambience. At the end though, we need to learn to master the knowledge, not make knowledge the master of us, as happens at the end.
They might be the first, but not certainly the last (as seen in image)...




claim token CM5DR6UYPPGX 

Retrospection

There is a thought that comes naturally

And that’s to worry, worry and worry

 

Slouching in the past

Flitting through the present

For the brain is in a muddle

Sluggish to all life’s riddles

 

No more is the present a gift

Cause your mind's quite adrift

Busy creating a rift so wide

Forcing all relations to collide.

 

Then why we move to something so polluted

when it causes all sensibilities to become diluted?

Perhaps intoxication in that fabled drink

Causes self-pity to remain distinct

 

Learn from previous events they say

But with thoughts so bogged, we can only pray

For until will power is regained

We will never learn to live again.

 

The easiest thing at any moment

Is to consider the past and only lament

But the best solution is to be adamant

And wear your present as your favored garment