By Dr. Synesio Lyra, Jr.
Every field of knowledge is expanding, and new areas of intellectual investigation are being developed at rapid pace. Several new bona fide academic disciplines are born all the time, becoming a significant part of universities, colleges and graduate schools curricula, in varied new subjects. Books and essays on these subjects also bound!
Instead of discouraging the public from pursuing these, hopefully many will there be who will immerse themselves in learning what is new and worth to be learned, knowing in greater depth what is there to be known, so as to affect societies in varied, positive ways.
Contemporary thinker and author, Os Guinness, stressed in one of his many books that “there is always more to knowing than human knowing will ever know.” Even then, the incentive can be present to devote study time and discipline to grasp what can be known and transform such new discovery into concrete acts of service for other segments of society.
In spite of such plethora of possibilities, one will pursue only an area of personal interest. This may come via courses taken, conferences attended, degrees sought, or merely through personal readings which can grant reasonable amounts of significant new knowledge of the subject in question.
In ancient times, the author of the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes, reflected that “of making many books there is no end..” (12:12a) I wonder what he would say if he lived in the 21st century, when book production has reached enormous proportions, be they in printed form or electronically.
All this simply points to the fact that no one needs to remain in ignorance about any subject because so much has been written about all that individuals and multitudes desire to learn, know and apply!
Although knowing has an immediate effect on the knower, it should also produce a positive effect on many others who can benefit from what others come to acquire and utilize in bringing advantages to countless more fellow members of the human race.
Knowledge is not intended to create an elite in any society and, to the extent that it is properly stimulated among children, youth, and adults, it will achieve healthy results in those seekers as it has been the case for many generations already!