Is knowing “too much” a dangerous thing?
This is quite a powerful phrase, especially in the latter part of it. Can too much knowledge be dangerous? It may sound silly, but it is true. I am not trying to say one shouldn’t strive to attain deep knowledge on the preferred subject. But I think when you start knowing a lot, you start doubting your knowledge as if you don’t know enough. You find it hard to communicate and differentiate between what you know vs what you don’t know. Knowing too much doesn’t make you fearless but it can certainly shake your confidence to take the next steps. When we launched the first space shuttle in 1981, did scientists know everything about space, especially the imminent dangers of the universe? No! Today also, do we know enough about our universe? Not at all, we don’t but still, we are trying to uncover the facts of the untapped planets. The great minds, the scientists of the world are okay to take the risk and send several spacecraft to the universe to learn and enjoy. Yes, you read it right “enjoy”. It is always a fun experience to learn unknowns. When you go after something you are inquisitive about without worrying about the pitfalls, you achieve the most happiness and the most glory. At that moment, you forget about all the danger as the pleasure you receive from your discovery keeps you going and keeps you full at the same time. Would scientists have acted differently if they knew all the dangers of the universe up front? Would they be inquisitive enough to learn about it? Would they be scared or dared to reach into the deep pockets of the universe? I think the former is true. When we know too much, it discourages us to continue the journey. Either we are too satisfied with the findings, or we get scared thinking about the risk involved and all negative that could happen. A strange fear encapsulates our minds & heart and discourages us to move forward. Being scared and demotivated, we lost the opportunity to learn and that may be the reason why many unknowns are still hidden from us. I always think it is okay not to know fully and take chances in life. But, not in case of the obvious danger though.
When I was in elementary, I loved to play with friends. I used to build camps on the terrace and pretended it was my home. It was my favorite pastime. I wanted to have my place, which was built by me. In our school, there were dense bushes around the boundary wall of the school. During lunchtime, I and my friends would go inside the bushes, and we used to clean that area. I wanted to convert that hidden area under dense green bushes into our home, a safe, fun place to play. I never thought, there could be poisonous ivy plants or snakes or insects. I was quite unaware of the danger as I was quite young too. I think blessing in disguise otherwise I am sure, I would have never dared to go near the bushes even. If today, you ask me to go inside the bush, in no circumstances I will do that. I remember, as we cleaned the bushes, we learned so much about various kinds of plants and shrubs. We realized some plants remain green for a longer period than others. We learned some shrubs were thorny while some had soft thorns and were not at all hurtful. Their branches were so intertwined with each other that it was difficult to figure out if there was a single plant or multiple. Moreover, it provided wonderful shade. And that was the prime reason, I was building our “home” there to play. It was amazing to see the beautiful spread of bushes like an umbrella on the top of our heads and underneath we could play or rest.
I also found the “Touch me not plant” there only, for the first time. It was fun to play with that plant. The moment you touch it, it will fold its leaves. And after some time, it will open them again. I never knew about such plants before. I became curious and I remember I learned many facts about that plant. I was very proud of myself to find that plant. Later, researching more I found that the scientific name of the “Touch Me Not” plant is Mimosa Pudica which comes from the Latin word. In Latin, Pudica means shy, thus it has been named Mimosa Pudica. Don’t Touch Me Plant is a very sensitive plant to the touch. It is not only popular for its mysterious shrinking reaction but for its highly beneficial nutritious elements. It has traditionally been used for ages as a curing remedy for piles, dysentery, sinus, diarrhea, and wounds. It has antibacterial, antivenom, antifertility, anticonvulsant, antidepression, and many more important properties. This plant helps in controlling blood sugar levels by raising insulin secretion as it possesses antioxidant properties. The paste or extracting juice made from the root of this plant helps with any itchiness or infection of the skin. The roots of the plant are crushed to make a paste or juice for the treatment of boils, acenes, and many other skin problems.
All parts of this unique plant are extremely useful in treating medical problems. According to media reports, this plant has the essential properties to balance hormonal disorders in our bodies. It helps to get relief from the menstruation heavy bleeding. Well, I didn’t learn everything at that time. But surely, I learned this plant was special and had many medicinal benefits.
Not only that, but as we cleaned up the bushes and paved our way forward, I also found the hidden Tomatoes vines. I still remember once I plucked more than two pounds of red tomatoes from there for my mom. I was so proud that day as I thought I had saved some good money for my parents. I was innocent enough to understand 2 LB tomatoes weren’t that expensive. Anyways, it was fun exploring, and playing under the bushes. A lot to discover, learn, and enjoy. Today, if you will ask me to do this again, I could never go under the shrubs because I am scared of the snakes, poisonous ivy plants and insects.
The point I am trying to make is when we know a lot about something, we become overly aware and miss the fun part to try something different. I think, we turned pessimistic and give weightage to what wrong can happen by trying something different. We just see the danger, but we failed to see the positive outcomes. If as a kid, I would be knowing all about snakes, ivy plants, or poisonous insects, I would have never tried to go under the bushes and would have learned so many new things. And this learning is with me till today. We think we are smart as we know a lot but to be honest, we aren’t. We become overly careful and lose out on the opportunity to learn new things and grow. It’s a different perspective but think about it. Somewhere it’s true. There is a fine line between knowing enough vs too much. If you can maintain the balance, you can learn and enjoy at your own pace and who knows what all you could discover in this wonderful journey.
