All this Knowledge

One cannot achieve much in life, neither in the realm of professional success nor in that of personal fulfillment, without obtaining a sufficient amount of knowledge. Knowledge of math and science, of social interactions, of time management skills, and on and on. How can one obtain this knowledge? Everything we know we discover through experience, through trial and error. What an individual can learn however, is not limited to their own personal experience.

All the things I want to know, and need to know, I could not possibly learn from my own experiences. So what I can’t learn from my own experiences, I will gladly absorb from my parents. And what they cannot teach me, I will learn from my friends, and extended family, and my teachers at school.

But the knowledge of all the people I personally know, living in this current time, is still humbled by the enormous archive of knowledge available to me. For decades upon decades, the wisest words, and the most profound realizations, have been captured into text, or audibly recorded, or personified into art, music, or film. And thus, they have been preserved.

So I will eagerly read, hear, and observe as much as I can. With an open mind, I will pursue the immense collection of knowledge before me. And perhaps, I can start to understand something about this world and my place in it. The collaborative efforts of the entire human race is bestowed upon me. And I will accept it, as best I can. And standing high up on the shoulders of giants, perhaps I will see something new, that no one before me could see. And so, I will make my own contribution to this infinite collection of knowledge. And so, mankind will grow, and learn, and overcome its faults. And so, mankind will create peace and conquer the universe. With trial and error my friend, and with time.