Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

In which I consider one of the more quotable aspects of knowledge.

My dad used to tell me that knowledge was the one thing no one could take away from you. A search of the world’s knowledge, a.k.a., Google it for yourself, shows that many famous people are the origin of this quote. I will not research this to find the true origin. I’ll leave it with my dad.

Years later, another older and wiser man discussed this with me. He noted how some peoples of the world concentrated their efforts on valuable things that are small. If persecution erupted and the people had to flee their location, they could carry these valuable things with them because they were small. Examples include diamonds and other gems and jewelry and violins.

To accompany these small physical items was the knowledge of how to identify and use them. Here again, we come to knowledge.

People can take knowledge away from me. There are drugs and surgeries and such that damage the mind and remove knowledge. My dad knew of these as did many others who noted the permanence of knowledge. My dad also knew of other things that were permanent. That removed the unique or “one thing” quality of knowledge.

Still, knowledge is quite important. Ideas don’t just “go away.” I might not recall an idea at this moment, but it will come back to me at some later time when it would be life saving.

The source of knowledge? Well, education is the first answer. Many older and wiser persons have noted that “education” often stood in the way of their learning. I guess “learning” is more important than education. That is for scholars and educators to debate.

Another thing about knowledge that I learned from my dad and my grandchildren: it doesn’t cost anything to give away knowledge. That’s a good thing.