Beech Tree News Network

ENOUGH TO BE DANGEROUS- A while back, I had a gentleman tell me that his knowledge about what went on at a place where he is more or less “in charge” was only sufficient to the level of “knowing just enough to be dangerous.” Now the remark was made in jest and I suspect that he knows a little bit more than that observation would imply but it does infer that he does not have a “tight grip” or total control over all the details associated with managing the place we were discussing.

Exactly what does the phrase “know just enough to be dangerous,” mean anyway? It means you have been empowered to make decisions which might effect other people and you most likely or at least have a very good chance, of making poor decisions because you are making them without having a full understanding of the situation or the consequences.

There are several similar phrases out there and the one from which that particular phrase originated is from the 1700's and goes like this, “a little learning is a dangerous thing.” The full quote is precisely “ A little learning is a dangerous thing: drink deep or taste not the Pierian spring; there shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, and drinking largely, sobers us again.” Learning and knowledge are often interchanged in the phrase so we will often hear, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” they both mean the same thing, that having only a little bit of understanding about something often leads to overconfidence, believing you know much more than you actually do and that can be very hazardous indeed. A small amount of knowledge has the ability to trick folks into believing they are adept, quite hazardous to say the least.

To quote the philosopher Francis Bacon on the role faith plays in our lives, (a subject very close to my heart) “ A little philosophy inclineth a man's heart to atheism but depth in philosophy bringeth men's minds about to religion.” You see, even one step, even a cursory inspection, will lead you away from gullibility and ignorance but it will not take you where you need to be. You have to go much deeper, ask the hard questions, wrestle with doubt and skepticism, to get you to real understanding and appreciation.

Now, you see the problem is though, this phrase seems to have taken root in and enjoys widespread acceptance in a totally different way, if my observations of the world are correct. “a little knowledge is dangerous” seems to have been taken to heart by many folks as meaning, even a little bit of knowledge is too much, it is better to stay ignorant. I myself have even heard, several times, and heard about, even more instances, where someone actually said something similar to, “ if this is what learning gets you; then I'm glad I'm ignorant!” Now, that is, to be precise and quite literal, about the most ignorant thing a person could say and it is a sad state of affairs, if our society has truly gone that direction.

I don't know about other parts of the country but if you live in the South, then you have probably heard another variant of this phrase. You must have either used it yourself about someone or had it said to you, or at least overheard someone being told, “if you had a brain, you would be dangerous.” What exactly is that supposed to mean anyway? It means that while you might possess the necessary skills to get yourself into trouble or dire straights, you lack the intelligence to be a serious influence or risk to those around you, because most, even minutely reasonable people, should be sharp enough to dismiss you or easily disarm you.

The problem is, I don't know if that is actually a true statement about people whom have chosen to embrace ignorance, any longer. A while back I saw a short interview session of young men and women who actually were attending college universities, in the United States and most of them did not know who even won the Civil war or who the current Vice President was at the time but they did know that “Snookie” had her reality show located on the Jersey shore. Are we really in the process of “dumbing down” our society? We have a real problem when people can spout the most detestable, ignorant things yet they attract an almost cult-like devotion, it really worries me that ignorance is sometimes seen as almost a blessing in our culture these days.

Philosophy is not “a waste of time” Knowledge is not “a dangerous pursuit” we all learn differently and if you are like me you prefer it on your own terms but let's embrace the pursuit of wisdom, instead of fearing it.