Knowledge: Air in Balloon or Ball, A Checkpoint in Knowing

“Knowledge is power”, the words of Francis Bacon are still afresh even today. Power, in terms of present day context, is no more to be of weapon but of information, in other words, knowledge. The whistle blower of today’s society is not the one who plants bomb or wins over by physical force but the one who provides information as in the case of Snowdown. It is applicable to any field that a knowledgeable person is esteemed despite of his or her social background.

However, a simple question that triggers me is, “What is the use of this knowledge?” In fact, all my endeavors are always in search of knowledge which gives me satisfaction. It is even on of my puruṣarthās, ultimate goals of life. Yet, the question remains with the same vigour. The recent attitudes encountered the present scenario regarding knowledge in terms of its misuse, are some what like these: “violence of knowledge” in the words of Immanuel Levinas, a Jewish philosopher; “arrogance of Knowledge” as Daya Krishna, an Indian Thinker, calls it. Thus our attitude with regard to the role of knowledge needs to take another form. How it would be to imagine this situation?

Knowledge is like the air in different forms, found everywhere in the earth like mild breeze, strong wind, storm, etc and sometimes inevitable for life too. This is channelized through different forms and is made use as well. If a balloon is inflated with air, it raises itself high and it is admired by many and enjoyed by many, mostly by children, however it is less useful in practical application. On the other hand, if the same air fills a football, for example, it is used better. It helps people to target and achieve their goal. I choose the imagery of football because it is not only used in a gentle way but even be kicked to fulfill one’s purpose.

This would be the right attitude regarding knowledge also. If knowledge is used for one’s own glory by taking him or her high, of course, it is admired by others. However, it is used less and useless to have such as one’s life purpose. On the other hand, if knowledge acts as a tool to celebrate the achievement of one’s goal, which seems to be hard but worth doing, knowledge gets meaning for its existence.

Thus knowledge is also a way when it is properly channelized through which one can serve one another. It is not a private property to be held nor just a fact about the past in the present since the present knowledge always enhances the future. Let us have a check on our knowledge and its purpose.