On Knowledge

             As people, we learn by necessity. The quest for knowledge--for understanding--is a primal and visceral need. Without the yearning to comprehend the world around us, we would have accomplished nothing. If we didn't seek ways to overcome obstacles, what then would differentiate us from common animals? It is at once the key to our survival and the creator of our very humanity. This incredible search for understanding has brought us to where we are today. People argue that knowledge is the proverbial double edged sword, capable of producing great pain and suffering but with the capacity to enlighten the world, to change the very essence of how we as a people understand our lives. This sentiment, however, is essentially flawed. It is the human decision to search for knowledge and then to apply it with the intention to alter the world that changes the course of history. The laws of the universe around us do not change--the Earth would orbit the sun even if we had no idea that it did--and it is only upon discovery that we can even hope to alter them. Personally, I think this a grand idea. That I as a shabby, inconsequential girl can dare to change the world just by perceiving it differently is a strange and awesome byproduct of the human mind.
              It is because of this immense power, that I think it imperative, crucial even, to take the initiative required to learn. It is vital that we take an active part in our own educations not just in school or work, but everywhere we go. The first step to this thinking is to understand how we learn. I previously mentioned that we learn out of necessity, and this I think is true. We force ourselves to understand things because we perceive it as important or because it is required of us. The understanding we achieve from this learning is limited and shallow. It's the kind of knowledge you gain to pass a test then lose the next day. We also learn through experience and connection. Our social behavior, the way we look at the people around us and our systems of societal norms were never explicitly taught to us. These guidelines came gradually through years of strange looks, passing comments and disapproving parents but they nonetheless stick to us until the moment we die. This is a lasting knowledge that shapes the way we do things as simple as eat breakfast to how we consider love or war. The third and last way we learn is a direct result of passion. A pure love for learning that leads us to discover and pursue whatever we think will give us the tools we need to find some kind of enlightenment. This learning is not forced upon us or slowly and stubbornly ingrained into our beings but is instilled upon us from birth. It is elusive and mysterious and horrifyingly powerful. It's the kind of learning that challenges the way we see the things around us and moves us to create, to explore, to change.
              I am proud to say that I have started to learn--to actively search for the subjects that I can delve into simply to indulge this passionate learning--and I have begun to find the knowledge that will move me places I can barely conceive of. I am finding my callings in literature, in service and in history. I do not yet know what use these will have in my future, but I am determined to use the power I gain to change the world. With the simple act of picking up a book, I am preparing myself to make an impact, however small, on the people and ideas of my time. The acquisition of knowledge is scary and rough but it brings with it the hope and determination of all of people that will call our lonely planet home.