Worthwhile Knowledge

Now that I've posted my bit about our current economic dilemma, I want to reflect on the importance of the issue more broadly. Specifically: is it worth thinking about all this stuff?

I've often wondered if it is indeed worth it as I watch my friend become fixated on issues of politics and economics. His efforts typically reveal truly scary revelations that are initially hard to digest but upon even minimal investigation, are even harder to refute. To hear him talk of such things he often sounds like a mad man and most people would think of him as such, but as someone who knows him well I can see that he is just being honest and not guarding himself in his discussions with me. Most of us wear our masks and say what is expected of us so as to not ruffle any feathers but my friend is always open and honest with me. I value this in him, even though I admit that I too sometimes think he might be going a little too far. And in the pursuit of knowledge such as this, there is such a thing as too far. Once people find the truth, it is often so remarkable and unbelievable, that they start to find other things that aren't really there. In this quest for truth it is important to take everything you hear with a grain of salt so as to not get lost down the rabbit hole.

This endeavor requires constant vigilance in cutting through government propaganda on one end and conspiracy propaganda on another. When I see my friend get overly excited or read something overly outrageous, I wonder to myself, "What utility does this information even have? Is it valuable to know this stuff?" The answer to this question is very important because it is easy to become so consumed by an endeavor that we lose sight of its objective. So is there a point to all of this? I think the answer is yes.

While I may not personally solve any of these issues, there is certainly value in having this knowledge. To me, the ultimate question in life is, "How can I best live my life?" If I could completely answer that question, what else would I need? Knowledge for the sake of knowledge is nothing. Knowledge is not an end in and of itself. But knowledge can help us in our understanding of our universe and it is this understanding which shapes and defines who we are and how we answer the question, "How can I best live my life?" So while knowledge may not have any intrinsic value on its own, its worth is without limit.

In that same regard, an understanding of these issues of economics and politics can help provide shape to this society we live in and equip us to better make decisions about how we can best live our lives within it. While this is certainly not the whole shebang, it is an important part of the puzzle that we can no longer ignore.