Two stages in valuing knowledge – Suppose we have a map for finding our way through a complex terrain. That map will be a valuable and vital aid for our traveling. But suppose someone has no idea of what a map is; they won’t value it much. It takes knowledge to value a knowledge-resource like a map. 

Suppose further that the terrain is characterized by constant flux due to landslides, floods and other geological forces. To find our way, we need to not just refer to the map but also carefully view the territory as it appears before us. That’s why a seasoned traveler values both the knowledge they have in the form of their map and the knowledge they don’t have in the form of what they can learn from their observations. 

What applies to traveling also applies to our life-journey. We all have some knowledge about what to do and what to not do — such knowledge is like a map for our life-journey. When we value this knowledge, that makes us experienced, helping us to avoid repeating our past mistakes. 

But valuing only the knowledge we have isn’t enough. Why? Two reasons. First, the world we live in is characterized by constant change. Second, as we all are finite beings, our limited knowledge will always be dwarfed by the world’s vastness. When we know the world’s mutability and our finitude, we learn to value the knowledge we don’t have, not by discounting what we know, but by seeing it as a basis to keep knowing more. By thus valuing both what we know and what we don’t know, we can more effectively navigate through our life-journey. 

To keep learning, we need humility, which the Bhagavad-gita (13.08) declares the first characteristic of knowledge. 

One-sentence summary:

The more we know, the more we value what we know — and value what we don’t know. 

Think it over:

  • Why does knowledge need to be valued?
  • Why does the knowledge we don’t have need to be valued?
  • What disposition can help us navigate life’s challenges effectively?

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13.08: Humility; pridelessness; nonviolence; tolerance; simplicity; approaching a bona fide spiritual master; cleanliness; steadiness; self-control; … [ – all these I declare to be knowledge].

Two stages in valuing knowledge

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