Friday 8 October 2021

The burden of knowing



What do you do with what you know? Things you read, see and hear willingly or otherwise, people you have met, secrets you are privy to, experiences you had to endure, dreams you have had; What do you do with them?

How do we receive? What guides perception through every encounter, the emotions that accompany them, and how do the pieces add up to be considered significant or not.

I often ask, “why?” I do not ask it aloud; it is an internal struggle that sometimes leaves me disillusioned or exhausted while other times I get answers to my queries.

To be honest, I do not know if I believe that everything happens for a reason- there are things I will never understand why I had to be a part of it, were they space fillers, or would I get clarity later. Still, I wonder the reasons for trying to give every event meaning.

We cannot grasp and retain the totality of every encounter; it might kill us to remember every minute detail yet, subconsciously we are a sum of all that goes through us.

I do think knowledge comes with the responsibility we may not always be ready for; I believe we carry experiences on behalf of others and our future selves. With what we know (that has made us who we are), we teach, clarify or confirm prior information – to other people and a later version of ourselves.

Sadly, this may elicit manipulation, perversion, greed, or abuse, yet that was never the intent- it is simply for a transfer of ‘power’ to the one who needs it. A gift available to all but none can take credit for it. The highest level of awareness in humans will still never possess absolute control.

Knowledge meets us but should not just stay with us- we may occasionally miss what is significant due to tiredness, distractions, or just life happening, we need to build the courage that helps us consistently filter, develop, preserve and then pass it on.

So what do you do with all you know? You use it to grow. I sincerely hope we do not miss what truly matters and let life not keep us grounded in detachment and cynicism.  

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