Knowledge

Coberst, is this a new, more likeable persona?

On the subject of the expiration date (ha! pun!) of knowledge, I actually tend to assume that it does stay with us after death. My preacher often mentions 'preparing' for Heaven, and while I haven't done much research on the biblical-ness (?) of this, it makes a bit of sense to me. What exactly are the 'treasures stored up in Heaven'? I interpret it as becoming a loving and wise person through life (by learning and caring about other people rather than spending all your time earning money).

All that said, yes, it goes without saying that knowledge is an asset (as well as half the battle). What intrigued me more was your question about it being a part of one's ego. This has ocurred to me in the past, but I assumed it was my own self-denigration telling me 'you just want to learn so you can feel smart and hold it over people'.

Maybe it's one of those things we're taught will bring respect, such as 'being rich', 'having a hot girl-/boyfriend', and so on. Most people respect professors and scholars, who have become practiced at what they know.

I consider myself a 'scholar' of Scientology, and am thinking of someday writing a book about it (I'm hoping I can call it 'Scientology: How It Was Destroyed'). I get a lot of pleasure out of answering people's questions about it and showing how knowledgeable I am. Even admitting that makes me feel like an egotistical @#$%, though.

I think that ideas live on. Not in a cosmological sense necessarily (I'm agnosticish), but in those who we affect and pass our ideas to. I think that anything we choose not to share dies with us.

If you're talking about something like alzheimer's, it makes more sense to say knowledge has a time limit. But even in those cases, it's just synapses that are not firing correctly, so really the knowledge is there but inaccessible. I wonder if our brains still have the same mapping when we die... And knowledge only goes away as our brains deteriorate. Fun neurology mind/body questions.

I think that learning is not futile, even if we do lose it. Human curiosity is inevitable, and knowledge is 'power.' The power to understand, to inquire, and wonder. It's useful during our lifetimes. And if we do make advances in our knowledge, we can share them and advance society.

Thank you for your prompt and amazing replies. Sarasnee, while reading your reply something really struck a chord with me (of what I think you said :> )
It is not egotistic to acquire knowledge. It is how we use that new knowledge which determines if the ego is playing a role. Hence the flow of knowledge. If we end up helping someone with that knowledge by openly sharing it, then indeed the ego is not in play.

But then I guess like FekketCantenel said, even after helping someone there can be an after thought of displaying superiority just by the fact that you were the one who helped that someone in need. You had the upper hand, and so by default were superior to that person in need.

First off, please, call me 'Fek'. Second, it occurred to me as an irreverent child that Mother Theresa must have enjoyed strutting her stuff for being so awesome to everybody all the time. That is, it must be great having your name be practically synonymous with 'kindness'.

Luckily I bet Mother Teresa didn't start out that way. But yeah, after a certain point I bet it was certainly motivating for her.

wouldn't that be on the borderline for selfishness too?
Would u say it's selfish to do good for others in order to experience the good of others? but i guess u would have to believe in karma for the point to really matter to you personally.

i feel like i m asking so many qs! but i m a student ;> it's my job!

What an interesting question!

I hoard knowledge more than I hoard anything else in the world. It's not that I don't share it - that's the beauty of ideas, being able to share but never having any less of the idea than you did to begin with, unless you scoop out bits of your brain or something ;-) But ever since I was a kid, I've wanted to know everything.

Partially it is because I was a quick learner and naturally academic. Partially because I just love the culture of academia. Part of it was because I never thought I could achieve amazing beauty or physical prowess, and so the thing I would use to comfort myself when feeling inferior to people would be to remind myself that I possessed a great deal more 'useful' knowledge.

I have dilemmas occasionally though, where I want to learn something new, pick up another degree, spend other time educating myself - and I have to second guess myself - am I doing this because I really want to, or am I doing it because I want to fee like a more worthwhile person?

That might make me sound like I have pretty low self esteem, which was true about four years ago, but things have changed a lot since then. I even feel moderately capable of achieving physical beauty and strength, these days! But frequently my motivations are still only half-visible to me, if that.

It's definitely selfish to do good things for the rewards. OH yes, but some people are only motivated that way. I had an ex-boyfriend who I thought was the most selfless being alive back in high school. It turns out that all of the volunteering he did was just to rack up hours to try to get scholarships. It's cool I guess, I mean, volunteering is never BAD, but I think it blackens your soul to be doing it for benefits.

I wrote all of my potential school essays about my moral views regarding this subject. If one is to be praiseworthy for volunteering there should be no ulterior motives like that. I guess what I am saying is, if you do things with good intentions then the possible rewards shouldn't be a concern.

As for knowledge, I don't really see anything wrong with acquiring it whatever the motivation. Some people are curious, some people use it as means to an end. Some people are egotistical about it (probably a lot). I'm kind of into deontological philosophy, where the focus is more on one's intentions than the outcome. So I believe it all really depends on your intentions.

I'm kind of into deontological philosophy, where the focus is more on one's intentions than the outcome.

-"sarasnee"

That sounds really interesting! I'll have to look that up sometime... (more knowledge, bwahahah! ;-)

While I agree that doing good deeds entirely for the personal gain is Missing The Point Entirely, I (in my infinite capacity for practicality) will prioritize a good deed if it also gains me something. Like, if I want to help out at a homeless shelter or a food bank, and the food bank is the one that will get me credit toward scholarships (in a fantasy scenario where I get to go to university), I'll probably take the food bank.

To bring it back around to knowledge, would you prioritize knowledge that can help others (first aid, group psychology, etc.) or that can help yourself [questionable grammar alert]?

hmm... I rekon I would choose an option which has an element of both sides incorporated into it, ie helping the society and personal satisfaction/benefit.