Prose: Truth in Knowledge

note: this is more like an essay, i just went off on a tangent, my appologies.
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Socrates once said, “True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing.” This simple quote can stir up great irritation, especially for those who pride themselves on obtaining as much education as possible. The frustration is understandable, for the human race, as a collective, strives for comprehension. For a great historical thinker to insist that the only real knowledge is admitting ignorance can be a brutal slap to the face.

However, from the little I’ve seen and absorbed throughout my short lifespan, I find myself agreeing with Socrates. The beauty of humanity is its unique perception; people try to see beyond their limited comprehension of their surrounding environment. Ironically, this ability is also a downfall as the arrogance of the human ego can be damaging beyond measure. The capability to see ourselves as separate from the world has driven the race to a unique understanding and at the same time crippled our ability to effectively coexist with the environment.

There seems to be a consensus among many people that the knowledge that has been obtained over a lifespan is, indeed, fact. This knowledge remains untouchable from outside persuasion unless that person allows himself or herself to accept the next truth. The populace was originally convinced the earth was center of the universe, and it was also accepted that the earth was not a sphere but rather very flat. These were facts, tested by whatever means were available at the time, untouchable by doubt, and mind shattering when disproved. Even today it is being questioned whether or not there are ten planets in our solar system versus the nine that people have known to be true for many, many years.

This basic method of comprehension, unfortunately, seems to be the most influential manner of not just learning, but also surviving. If people adopted the belief that what one knows to be true can be fallible, they would be riddled with self doubt and soon be in a constant state of paranoia. People need truth and understanding for progression to take place. Progression also cannot exist without the ability to admit that something that has been accepted as truth for years, decades, and centuries, may very well be false. They need to have balance in their faith and in their ability to look at all facets of the situation at hand and their world around them.

Ones knowledge of truth, it seems, is something that is constantly being tested and torn down only to be rebuilt again. What people know beyond any doubt can indeed lead them to great understanding, but it can also easily be a false understanding. With this constant struggle to know what is real and what is fiction, how can one ever be truly educated?

The answer to this question is a rather immeasurable one; as with most everything in life, it can be proven and disproved a thousand times over. So, the only thing one can do is offer a suggestion or a guess on what it truly means to be educated. My answer runs parallel with the statement that the only true knowledge is to understand that one has none. An education does not come solely from books, schools, examinations, or studying. To me, educated people are those who have the ability to question what they have known to be fact throughout their life and accept new truths as they become known.