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| Knowledge & wisdom | ||
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Knowledge
Knowledge is information: facts, figures, dates and names.
It is the ability to arrange, assess, define, duplicate, label, list,
memorise, name, order, recall, recognise, relate, repeat and reproduce.
Sometimes knowledge can be understanding gained by actual experience.
The information age?
People associate knowledge as being the accumulation of
information.
Modern technology has quite literally put all manner of information at our
fingertips.
We can find out almost anything about any subject, can't we?
Let's test the validity of this notion.
Information does not mean wisdom
You probably know what a piano is... right?
Can you build one?
Do you understand the acoustics?
Can you read piano music?
Are you capable of actually playing a piano?
How many piano concertos have you personally written?
Could you play the piano as part of a band or with a singer?
So, what exactly do you know?
Maybe far, far less than you think you do.
Chat-room genius?
People sometimes join on-line chat-rooms to discuss tai chi or some other
subject.
Are these people experts?
Some may be. Others are probably
not.
The problem with chat-rooms is that the internet
provides a forum for self-expression.
A well-read tai chi enthusiast may possess no functional
physical skills.
They may just be a good talker.
Well presented mouthpiece
News presenters and TV personalities are very well presented.
They have great skin, lovely hair, make-up, expensive clothing.
The presenter is adept at seeming earnest,
personable, intelligent and knowledgeable.
When you consider the latter point, you may realise the problem...
Excellent presentation is no indication of actual knowledge - we are
interested in what the person actually knows - not what they can
quote (or what they are reading from a script).
Is the presenter an expert?
Quoting
A common practice in modern society is to quote
superficial pieces of information as though this reflected some deeper,
more profound level of knowledge.
Usually, there is no knowledge.
It is just information.
Knowing
Knowing is not enough.
The human race has a recorded history spanning hundreds of years, yet we are
still at war with one another.
There is hunger, poverty, greed and cruelty throughout the world.
Respect
For all our knowledge, we are yet to live in harmony with others.
We are yet to have respect.
A clever-seeming person may seek to flout their
knowledge, but a wise person
remains quiet.
They prefer to watch, to learn, to observe natural laws.
It is like someone who falls into the
sea and takes support from the water itself to swim and reach the shore.
(Matthieu Ricard)
Wisdom
Wisdom is not the same as knowledge.
It reaches beyond the information to see inner qualities and relationships
that are not immediately apparent.
It is synonymous with awareness and care, with insight and consideration.
Knowledge alone is dangerous.
It must be tempered with good sense, morality and prudence.
Are you truly open to the unknown?
Modern culture is littered with examples of limited thinking.
It is actively encouraged by our current
education system.
Can you cope with uncertainty, doubt and insecurity? Can you step off
(knowingly) into the abyss?
Understanding
People accept or dismiss information on the basis of their own ability to
comprehend it.
This approach is unsound.
Do we dismiss Einstein, Hawkins or Da Vinci because we do not
understand
their theories and insights?
Does our ignorance invalidate their work?
Meaning
Krishnamurti told an amusing story which causes us to question authority:
The devil
and his friend are walking along the street, when they see a man stoop down
and pick something up. The man looks very pleased.
The friend asks the devil, "What has he found?"
The devil replies, "He has found a piece of the truth."
"Then this is bad business for you?" asked the friend.
"Not at all," said the devil, "Now I will tell him what it means."
Page created
18 April 1995
Last updated
16 June 2023
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