Weekly Technetic #23: Knowledge and limits
The world is bigger than any one man. There is so much that can be learned, and even the greatest species to ever walk the earth unfortunately remains mortal. Because of this limited window in which we are able to learn, compared with the sheer volume of knowledge available to us, no one truly knows it all. We simply can't.
That doesn't mean we shouldn't try, of course. Life should always involve the pursuit of knowledge. Although we understand and accept that learning everything is an impossible goal, the technetic ideal is to keep striving for it in the full knowledge that it is something we will never attain. The benefits we gain along the way are far greater than the drawback of having failed a task where no human could succeed.
One of the best reasons to seek out new knowledge is to expand our own world. Or, if you prefer, our perception of that world. We try new things. We learn new skills. We talk to new people. And we do all of this because we believe that the experiences will make us better. Whether that comes from new material wealth, social connections, or just a better understanding of ourselves, we have broadened our horizons, pushed back our boundaries, and that is one large step in the direction of eudaemonia.
In a way, the most important knowledge to seek is that which challenges rather than confirms. Today's world, particularly in the political sphere, has made that almost taboo, with the result that American political debate often feels like World War I: two sides in trenches, miles apart, never seeing each other except when they dare to cross the vast No Man's Land between them. Discussion is all but gone, dissent punished as harshly as in any Inquisition. Not only are literal enemies dehumanized, but even those who do nothing worse than hold a "bad" opinion are treated as untouchables. This is neither sustainable nor just.
We can do better. Technetics already know the value of opinion and contrary information. By seeing the evidence against our position, we have the ability to strengthen it when it is correct, or to let it evolve when it is not. In turn, we share this knowledge with others, who may not have seen as much of the story, so that they may then find a similar revelation. Alternatively, they might provide us with a rebuttal from their own experience that shines further light on the matter. Either way, knowledge can only increase.
All too often, such attempts at sharing are rejected. People close their minds and turn away attempts to open them. We have seen this reach new heights in the past two years, as verifiable facts have been renamed "conspiracy theories" and declared verboten. But the facts themselves have not changed. Natural immunity exists. Carbon dioxide is not going to kill us all. The 2020 elections were neither secure nor fair. And a million other things we were taught as true are, in fact, false.
We know this. We searched for the knowledge deemed forbidden, and we are wiser for it. But how do we then bring that knowledge to others in a way they can accept?
Many will now invoke Plato's allegory of the cave as a way of explaining that people in general don't want to learn new things that challenge their perception of the world. But that really only moves the problem one step back. Why are we the lucky ones who can accept that knowledge?
There may be a physical or psychological basis for some part of it. I can speak from personal experience that my mind very quickly rejects altered states of consciousness. I've never had a fully lucid dream, for example, because I tend to wake up the moment I realize I'm dreaming. I seem to be very resistant to hypnosis; the most I've ever felt was a light tingle in my fingers and toes, a far cry from those who claim to experience total amnesia. Likewise, meditation and "mindfulness" have failed every time I tried them.
That's not to say I'm stoic. Far from it. I'm very emotional, as anyone who knows me will attest. Music can move me to tears. When I watched sports—I stopped once they became more about pushing divisive politics—I often felt a powerful connection to my team. Movies and television, strangely enough, don't evoke such a strong response, but I still get emotionally attached to the story and characters if they're handled well.
Why, then, do I not fall into the trap of the prisoners in their cave? I've never had any experience I would consider spiritual, the divine revelations so many believers profess. Yes, I have above-average intelligence, but that, I have long felt, only means I can make connections faster than most, not that I truly understand things they can't comprehend.
Therefore, I have to see it as a skill, something one can learn. And the technetic has already begun his training by accepting the wisdom of the Keys and the quest for eudaemonia. If we can do it, anyone can, because we are all human. All it takes is knowing that the path is there, believing it can be walked. Most importantly, we must be willing to trust that the walls holding us back are figments of our imagination. In truth, there are no boundaries to knowledge except those we allow.