Does knowledge make us happy or sad?
By sashakiddo
@sashakiddo (1102)
United States
April 20, 2011 4:08pm CST
I use to read a lot. I always read the required reading for class, especially for sociology. I think because of this, I tend to know more than my friends who don't really care about class. I feel like this sets me apart from them, and when I talk to them they can't relate to me. In these times I get really frustrated because there are so many things that people choose not to listen to.
On the other hand, when I am reading these new things it's really eye opening and I'm glad that I have these old, sometimes ancient writers to learn from. Without them I would be more confused about life.
From another view, my friend told me he would never want to know everything there is to know because then life would be boring. I disagree with him because first of all there is no way to know everything- that's just as unreal as being alive while being dead. I mean, we can't exactly know what happens after death, so we can't know everything there is to know. I also disagree with him because, the pursuit of knowledge is exciting to me, and learning about what we can do to change the world is not a useless goal. I know that whenever we try to do good, something bad comes of it, but it is still worth trying because for me, that is what life is about. To me it is the worst thing to sit there with the excuse that nothing can be perfect or improved. Striving to know about the world is one step in change because if we don't understand where we live, there is no way we can do anything about our problems.
1 person likes this
15 responses
@GBTing (14)
• China
21 Apr 11
Dear sashakiddo:
I was touched when I read your words ,especially "whenever we try something good , something bad comes of it,BUT it is still worth trying ..." . you know this is positive energy which encourage speople to stengthen their resolve to pratice and experience their lives . Thank you .
In my opinion , actually I was wondering if there is guidebook of how to be a happy person . My answer is No,and Yes. By no I mean to say that those enlightenment we gain from those intellents can help us to solve some confusion to some degree ,but there is no nostrum at all .That's why you saw that the books you were reading is increasing ,but the happiness quotient is deminishing . We must search after the truth independently . While by "yes" I mean that our life itself can be seen as the guidebook .We involve ourself in it ,observe it and enjoy it .Life can teach us how to study pass the exam,and even cope with trifles in marriage .Life is a journey ,we must have the mood to enjoy it and then if we wanna make this journey more happier and meaningful ,as you've said "just sitting there " is useless . We'd better let other guys recognize such a wonderfyl journey and make a difference together .
Very happy to take part in your discussion,hope to be a friend with you .
1 person likes this
@sashakiddo (1102)
• United States
21 Apr 11
Ahh I see what you mean. Life is something separate from the knowledge we read. It is about experience and action. Although, I wonder if reading is an experience? Of course it is an action, but can it be considered a part of the life journey? Whatever one person writes is usually something from the writer's journey, but the reader takes it as a journey to learn from rather than a journey to be experienced.. or is an imagined experience just as meaningful as a "real" experience?
hmmm you gave me more questions to think about.
@gvthnks (1)
• Camden, New Jersey
23 Oct 15
@sashakiddo there is a verse in the Bible that states, "with much knowledge, comes much sorrow"
@misterMR (796)
• Philippines
21 Apr 11
Knowledge neither makes you feel happy nor sad. When you gain knowledge, you'll eventually feel mutual about it. One thing for sure is that wisdom could either make us happy or sad. It depends on what you have gained from the wisdom. But most of the times, the right kind of wisdom gained at the right time could really make one very happy about it. What I love about wisdom is that it does not make people gain knowledge at the brain, instead it is at the heart that wisdom is stored. I'm sure you'll get along with your friends in time!
@sashakiddo (1102)
• United States
21 Apr 11
Interesting, that makes sense. If a person makes a habit out of learning new things, the information won't come as anything depressing.. it is just something new that adds to the continuously changing phenomena of life.
@whyaskq (7523)
• Singapore
21 Apr 11
In my opinion, it is not knowledge that makes us happy or sad. Knowledge provides us with information and helps us to analyse any situation we are in. It is our state of emotions that makes us happy or sad. Keeping a positive mind often makes us a happier person.
@sashakiddo (1102)
• United States
23 Apr 11
that makes sense, even if it upsets us to see people make foolish mistakes when we know better, a person with a positive attitude can strive to teach others the knowledge that he/she knows.
@Pose123 (21635)
• Canada
20 Apr 11
Hi sashakiddo, This is a good discussion and I agree with you. We must keep on learning and will never know all there is to know, because new things are being discovered all the time. I am seventy-one years old and have been reading since I was just a kid and I'm learning new things every day. It's the only way to go, so keep at it my friend. Blessings.
1 person likes this
@sashakiddo (1102)
• United States
21 Apr 11
Wow, you must have so much knowledge! Some times people refuse to accept that we don't know everything there is to know.. that's sad because it makes people ignorant. I hope that I will never get like that. I hope that I'll be like you, enriching my mind all the time.
@sender621 (14894)
• United States
20 Apr 11
I think this all depends on the knowledge that we gain. With some knowledge, we are happy in the wisdom. When it it is more serious and subdued it can leave us in despair.
@sashakiddo (1102)
• United States
21 Apr 11
Yes, some knowledge is depressing but it is still important to know. People need to learn how to accept that there are sad things that happen in life. Without knowing, we can't change those things.
@mallu30 (461)
• India
21 Apr 11
Knowledge trains the man's mind to think and take the right decision. when the man makes a right decision, its result will be possible and it leads to happiness. If a man lacks knowledge, there will be lot of mistakes in his decisions, which leads to problems in life. So there was both the merits.
@sashakiddo (1102)
• United States
23 Apr 11
good point, when we know, we at least have options. knowledge helps society to avoid mistakes although we are always testing our limits. one person's mistake is new knowledge for society.
@moneymaya (901)
• India
21 Apr 11
I think god gives us unlimited gifts and Knowledge is the one of the most power full gifts. As I told you its a gift but its in our hand how we utilize it if , god give us other gift of thinking if we think knowledge gives us Happy then its happy otherwise sad
thank & happy mylotting
@sashakiddo (1102)
• United States
23 Apr 11
yes knowledge is power, and we can use it for good or evil, if we even believe in good and evil. knowledge created the atom bomb, and knowledge took us to the moon.
@BrianDaniel (256)
• United States
20 Apr 11
Both. Knowledge that benefits us can make us happy if we embrace it or it can make us sad if we don't know what to do with it or don't realize that it might benefit us. Our perspectives and attitudes influence the way knowledge affects us. Our experiences determine in part how we will react to new information.
@sashakiddo (1102)
• United States
21 Apr 11
good point, we each have a say in what information we ignore for our own reasons. some people refuse to watch the news during war because it is too depressing. I think I would rather know the truth - to me it is a responsibility to know about what is going on around the world.
@Cutie18f (9551)
• Philippines
21 Apr 11
Knowledge can both give us happiness or unhappiness. Sometimes, it is better not to know. For instance, when you know too much, when you know how things are supposed to be done and our society is composed of poorly trained people who do not know anything, you will encounter frustrations many times in your life. Let me give you an example. Supposing you are a good movie critic. You know a good movie when you see one and there are not so many of them nowadays. So when you go to a movie, instead of getting entertained, you will be unhappy at how some scenes are done, etc. etc. I think people who know a lot are not as happy as those who are not as knowledgeable. Look at some of these beggars or poor people in the marketplace. That's where you actually see a lot of smiling faces. Go to a university where there are scholars and doctors poring over thick books. That's where you see a lot of knitted eyebrows and frowns.
@sashakiddo (1102)
• United States
23 Apr 11
That was the perspective I was thinking from. They say people in the poorest areas of the world know how to live, and accept all people with an open heart. You don't get that a lot in developed areas. You would think a place with access to education would be more prosperous but that doesn't seem to be the case when it comes to mental health.
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
21 Apr 11
The only way I can explain it for me is basically that knowledge can be both beneficial and sad. Depending on how we look at the moment. See way too much knowledge at times can help sort out things in the end making for positivity and then it too can be a negative because then I would expect way more then perhaps I can achieve.
@sashakiddo (1102)
• United States
21 Apr 11
i see - knowing about how the world works still doesn't help us approach it in order to change it. that takes creativity as well as knowledge, so knowledge is only a part of what we use in life.
@Zer0Stats (1147)
• India
21 Apr 11
Hmmmm I'd say knowledge brings UNDERSTANDING not necessarily happiness.Plus it would depend on the kind of knowledge you are acquiring.Happiness is simply the benefit you receive from any situation.Sure knowledge can bring happiness as long as that is what benefits you,specifically.Yeah,its true that there are so many things to know about but always remember the more knowledge you gain the more confusion you get.
@sashakiddo (1102)
• United States
23 Apr 11
Most definitely. When we learn how to solve our problems, we creat more problems for ourselves. I'd say this is because we make things more complicated all the time. Things in actuality are really simple but we don't really like to think that way in society for some reason.
@EstiiBabii (685)
• United States
20 Apr 11
I think it all depends on what you're knowledgeable about, certain things we know that can help is a good thing you start to feel really positive but having knowledge on the things that are bad for us is a good thing but we can start to feel paranoid.
@sashakiddo (1102)
• United States
21 Apr 11
I like the was you explain it- knowledge about anything is a good thing but it can still make us feel bad.
@kwylima (451)
• United States
20 Apr 11
First of all I want to be you friend so bad hahhaha!!
I love people who like to read and learn..knowledge is the best thing we can have in our lifes..I love to learn (even in high school it was not)
you are right and never stop to read and learn..this is the why..people who lived a long time ago..were more smart than us..they wanted to learn and dicorver every possible thing in the world. Today they are lasy enough to don't care about anything.
I love people who like to read and learn..knowledge is the best thing we can have in our lifes..I love to learn (even in high school it was not)
you are right and never stop to read and learn..this is the why..people who lived a long time ago..were more smart than us..they wanted to learn and dicorver every possible thing in the world. Today they are lasy enough to don't care about anything.
@sashakiddo (1102)
• United States
21 Apr 11
Let's be friends then!
I didn't like learning in high school either, I think it's partly the school's fault because they didn't encourage real learning - it was more like reading and copying the answers from the book. People were always capable of cheating because their families paid for tutors to tell them the answers.
@redvakaurvaki (4216)
• Indonesia
21 Apr 11
One thing for sure, knowledge makes me feel Im a better smart. I'm proud knowing I had a lot of knowledge to show and share it to people. I always have a lot of curiousity about new knowledge. The conclution : it makes me happy.
@sashakiddo (1102)
• United States
23 Apr 11
im glad you feel that way, i like learning new thing as well. people are always impressed when you know something they don't.. like languages.. if you speak three languages or even two, chances are people will have respect for you. It's funny how it's so easy to learn new things, but people just don't make the effort.
