Two Ways to Know if Alleged Knowledge is Worth Your Time

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Abstract

ou answer the main question:</p><ul><li>Do you need to dredge through the learning process, or are you naturally drawn in with profound interest?</li><li>Do you ever find yourself enthusiastically telling friends and family about what you’re learning?</li><li>Do you feel <i>energized</i> after a learning session?</li></ul><p id="da78">If the answer to all of the questions above is “No,” then you probably aren’t too excited about whatever knowledge is being offered to you. There’s nothing wrong with that; not everyone will love everything. It’s simply important to realize it so you can prioritize things that <b>do</b> excite you. Life is short, and you should spend it being excited more often than not.</p><h2 id="5c67">Can you contribute something meaningful to the world with it?</h2><p id="8280">The sum total of all your knowledge should result in purpose and meaning — you should be able to take what you know and make the lives of others better with it. In the same vein as above, here are some sub-questions to help you figure out if you’ll be able to do so:</p><ul><li>Is there a way to use the knowledge you’ve gained outside of the classroom?</li><li>Can you explain to the average person how a distilled version of what you’re learning is tangibly useful?</li><li>Are there examples of <i>others</i> having used similar knowledge for beneficial, actionable purposes?</li></ul><p id="4793">I firmly believe that for knowledge to be useful, it must eventually result in discernible methods for betteri

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ng humanity. This doesn’t mean you need to unify the four theories of physics and invent time travel so that we can go back and change all the horrors humans have managed to manifest in several thousand years.</p><p id="0fe9">Knowledge can be simple but immensely useful. An example: some might consider therapy an average profession. Perhaps so, but it is also one of the most relevant and worthwhile, because it helps individual humans improve their lives on a daily basis.</p><p id="74d8">If what you’re learning doesn’t help people, then I would urge you to go learn something else.</p><h2 id="6faa">A Parting Thought</h2><p id="5929">I’ll be the first to tell you that at times, it’s worth it to gain knowledge just for the sake of gaining knowledge. It might seem like my words above contradict this, but that is not my intention. The purpose of this article isn’t to comment on knowledge as a philosophical concept, but rather to discuss how one might prioritize the knowledge they are able to acquire in a limited time frame.</p><p id="89a6">If you’ve retired early and have nothing better to do, then by all means learn every scientific theory and philosophical musing the world has to offer. But if you, like me, find yourself pressed for time yet determined to make a difference, then you must be very deliberate about what you spend your time learning. The questions above have been helpful for me to ponder, and I hope they are for you as well.</p><p id="9705">Until next time, folks!</p></article></body>

The universe has lots of knowledge to give out — but it won’t all be useful to you.

Recently, I have found myself frustrated with some of the introductory courses I’ve had to take as part of my PhD. I do my best to engage with the readings and discussions, but a part of me cannot help but feel caught up in a world of academics who like to use flowery sentences and fancy words to say effectively nothing.

To be clear, I am referring to the readings. My classmates and professors are wonderful and brilliant, and part of the reason I’ve kept an open mind in these classes is because I know for a fact that the professors do meaningful work. As such, I am holding on to a dwindling sense of hope regarding the utility of what I am being taught.

I am not here to discuss whether knowledge is objectively useful — I want to talk about if it is useful to you. With that in mind, I recommend using the two questions below to find out.

Does it excite you?

Here are a few sub-questions to help you answer the main question:

Do you need to dredge through the learning process, or are you naturally drawn in with profound interest?

Do you ever find yourself enthusiastically telling friends and family about what you’re learning?

Do you feel energized after a learning session?

If the answer to all of the questions above is “No,” then you probably aren’t too excited about whatever knowledge is being offered to you. There’s nothing wrong with that; not everyone will love everything. It’s simply important to realize it so you can prioritize things that do excite you. Life is short, and you should spend it being excited more often than not.

Can you contribute something meaningful to the world with it?

The sum total of all your knowledge should result in purpose and meaning — you should be able to take what you know and make the lives of others better with it. In the same vein as above, here are some sub-questions to help you figure out if you’ll be able to do so:

Is there a way to use the knowledge you’ve gained outside of the classroom?

Can you explain to the average person how a distilled version of what you’re learning is tangibly useful?

Are there examples of others having used similar knowledge for beneficial, actionable purposes?

I firmly believe that for knowledge to be useful, it must eventually result in discernible methods for bettering humanity. This doesn’t mean you need to unify the four theories of physics and invent time travel so that we can go back and change all the horrors humans have managed to manifest in several thousand years.

Knowledge can be simple but immensely useful. An example: some might consider therapy an average profession. Perhaps so, but it is also one of the most relevant and worthwhile, because it helps individual humans improve their lives on a daily basis.

If what you’re learning doesn’t help people, then I would urge you to go learn something else.

A Parting Thought

I’ll be the first to tell you that at times, it’s worth it to gain knowledge just for the sake of gaining knowledge. It might seem like my words above contradict this, but that is not my intention. The purpose of this article isn’t to comment on knowledge as a philosophical concept, but rather to discuss how one might prioritize the knowledge they are able to acquire in a limited time frame.

If you’ve retired early and have nothing better to do, then by all means learn every scientific theory and philosophical musing the world has to offer. But if you, like me, find yourself pressed for time yet determined to make a difference, then you must be very deliberate about what you spend your time learning. The questions above have been helpful for me to ponder, and I hope they are for you as well.

Until next time, folks!