Chapter 22 The Joy of Learning and the Power of Knowledge.
Every piece of information is a joy to me. Since childhood, I have been engrossed in almanacs, birds and orchids, Guinness books of records, and Janes Directories of battleships and aircrafts. I am still spellbound by Uri Gellers ability to bend nails with mind power; our white blood cells battle with germs as seen under a microscope; my recent marvel at the view of the earth as shot from the space shuttle and reproduced on a giant cinema screen. My children are still thrilled by such things as births in an aquarium and lightning in a glass at science exhibitions. I am sure that you delight in learning and discovery too. For me, it is heartening to see the rate my children are gobbling up the local libraries!
There is no saturation point for knowledge, its fruits are sweet, it enables us to move around and ahead in the world, it enriches our lives. Through learning we let the universe unfold to us and we experience its endless wonders. There are intrigues and beauties everywhere. All of life should be a learning process. We boost our worth and abilities by finding out more about the world, then acquiring the knowhow to fulfil peoples needs. Things can go missing, health can fail, but what we have invested in our minds are ours forever; nobody can take them away. Short-change our education now and we may be short of change for life!
While we are taught many things of practical values in school, our interest in reading and learning brings joy, and will have an enormous influence on us throughout our lives. As my children are finishing off the libraries, we are setting up our own library in the house, with encyclopaedias, books on plants, animals, birds, butterflies, geography, self-improvements, interpersonal skills, happy living and all the food for our minds. These will be our mighty foundation for knowledge, mental development and the acquisition of skills, riches, and fulfilling lives. The love for knowledge is one of lifes noblest pleasures, it is a fun-filled and valuable learning process reinforced by reading, inquisitiveness and reflection. Reading must lead to fertile thinking, questioning, knowledge accumulation and eventual accomplishment, otherwise it is just a fruitless pastime. We must take notes of good facts and ideas for long-term use. Our choice of books is also important.
Interesting to note, I stopped reading novels years ago. I find that apart from providing diversion, relaxation and a good vocabulary, fiction gives less education. Much intrigue and passion were conjured up in the minds of writers, they are not real and not always applicable to our daily lives. It is the non-fiction that gives us useful information and technology. On the whole, education expands our horizon, and develops our intellectual, moral, spiritual and even physical wellbeing. When we have enough knowledge at our disposal, we can improve our health, performance, our social and family relationships, our lives and our world!
In contrast, ignorance is a sad state of affairs. In the long run, it is more expensive than education! If you grow up knowing nothing about this and that, it begins to show quickly and people may avoid dealing with you and even desert you. That is just the tip of the iceberg, how are you going to find your way and exert the knowledge and skills to earn a good living? You will be lost! The uniformed person lives in a dark world. Wise people like the great Plato put it less mildly: „Better be unborn than untaught, for ignorance is the root of misfortune. Shakespeare wrote: „The common curse of mankind is folly and ignorance. Reason carefully, isnt ignorance the root of fear, poverty, envy, violence and suffering among millions? People lost the way to love, to thrive and to live fully. After all nothing happens accidentally, everything has its cause and effect. If people lack the knowledge and capacity to grow a good crop, run a business, make something sellable, or the skills to get along with colleagues, partners and mates, they will miss a decent livelihood. The unfortunate few even turned to crime and warfare. Hence, in the short time we are given (about 75 years), it is our duty to learn as much as possible and do our best, then the effects and consequences will take care of themselves. Otherwise, we would leave this world sadly, without ever discovering and using the great potential within us.
A strong and solid educational background is vital regardless of the type of career a person chooses. No one should take schooling lightly. In my years of experience as a student and teacher, I could see that it is the best students who have the greatest fun in school. They enjoy their work and achieve what we term the „Flow. Conversely, it is the least enthusiastic and productive people who are the most unhappy. The lazy and lethargic only enlarge their boredom and feelings of inadequacy and frustrations.
Our education should not end with university graduation, because our development should be an endless process. Furthermore, modern technologies are moving at a crazy pace, and are quick to leave us behind. We must therefore stay progressive, and live in a state of curiosity and adventure to prolong our zeal for learning. I always maintain that any day, any minute, any one can find something to learn, and to improve on. We should strive to train and use the whole of ourselves. Reading is of course not the only source of knowledge, you have to observe, analyse, and listen to others. Everyone you associate with is a teacher in some ways. Emulating experts and successful people is also an effective way of gaining knowledge, productive habits, and eventual success!
Some experts emphasise the value of a general universal education; others stress the importance of specialised knowledge. I think we should have both. Allround knowledge brings us more complete and fulfilling lives, while special skills earn us the high incomes! Liberal education develops a sense of balance, duty and honour. Apart from his love of the world and its beauty, the man of liberal arts and jack-of-all-trades has wider visions and capabilities. He is a multi-dimensional person. He can tackle the complexities of modern businesses. He is not confined to a specific area; being fluid and mobile, he has fewer dead ends. With his vast knowledge of himself, his job, people, associates, markets and industry, he can be the overall master of his business. He is not shut from the rest of the world, he can stand back and look at the whole picture, foresee developments, seize opportunities, and forestall problems. His general knowledge, anticipation and problem-solving skills will propel him to the top swiftly, and keep him there.
When you have acquired good all-round knowledge, it is time to pursue a specialised field in a rapid-growth industry, where I can assure you, you will be rewarded generously. This is where your hobbies and interests should be, and where your knowledge and resources with their winning edge are focused on a lucrative goal. The great Francis Bacon said, „Knowledge is power. But it is power only when you have set goals and channelled all your energy towards your targets, be it entertainment, zoology or medicine. I suggest you start from where you are, with what you have, and put in your whole heart and soul. If you hang in there, cultivate your special knowledge and skills with practice and hard work, your harvest may one day exceed your wildest dreams! Look at Steven Spielberg, Honda, Ray Kroc and Disney. Their desire to know everything in their special field became obsession and almost madness. McDonalds Ray Kroc scrutinised and improved his burgers and fries exhaustively, until perfection! Spielberg was engrossed in every aspect of movie production, leaving nothing to chance. Look at his array of gigantic movies and successes!
The biggest room in the world is the one for improvement. Keep learning. You are as much as you know; with versatile education, special knowledge and the resultant wisdom, you can do anything! You are on course to relish all of lifes true riches, and I will guide you in my next 78 chapters - they will be part of your great learning process too!
"You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them." - R. Bradbury.
"Every man who knows how to read has in his power to magnify himself, to multiply the ways in which he exists, to make his life full, significate, and interesting." - Aldous Huxley.
"The larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of wonder." Anonymous.
"Poverty is no disgrace, but ignorance is." - Anonymous.
"Disability is a matter of perception. If you can do just one thing well, you're needed somewhere by someone." - Anonymous.
"Money is what fuelled the industrial society. But in the informational society, the fuel, the power, is knowledge." - J. Galbraith.
"Anyone who keeps on learning not only remains young but also becomes constantly more valuable." - Harvey Ullman.