What We Know

We are used to living surrounded by information. Our schools teach us the value of knowledge and details. TV is full of quizzes and competitions to test for cleverness. Education is emphasized everywhere we go. Each morning and evening, people learn the latest news. It is important to know what's happening and the topics of the day. But what do we really know?

Do we know what we know? Often we behave like we are very knowledgeable and have all the facts. Most of us are very keen on presenting our own points of view. We have opinions. Seldom do we consider whose opinions we are really repeating. Have we considered the items thoroughly and find arguments for and against the issue? Are we sure that our sources of information are objective and provide the complete picture? On what grounds is our thinking based?

Usually, we come to the conclusion that the more we investigate and study a subject, the less we know about it. Our thinking is based on a structure that needs to categorize and polarize items. We need straight and simple answers that are based on comparing and contrasting. We call this "putting things in relation to." There is a need to prefer and value something over something else. Otherwise we are said to be undecided. What happens when we are urged to set things into a relationship but we have limited knowledge and information?

Our ignorance results from our limited perception and understanding of issues. Also the need to value things (i.e., being able to "decide") creates a lot of confusion and misinterpretations. Therefore, what we know is less important than what we do not know. Unfortunately, most of the time our knowledge does not expand enough for us to realize that we do not know what we do not know. In other words, we may act with the best of intentions, but what is more arrogant than claiming to know something that we do not have a clue about?

What can we do so that we know as much as Socrates? Be humble. Humbleness rises from the knowledge and insight that we are not omnipotent and, therefore, cannot know very much of anything. We have to be sensitive and open-minded to realize this. The greatest minds in the world have claimed to know very little—how about us? What do we know?