Know & Not

We learn about life by living it. We are surrounded by people, events, places, weather and what all else. Each teaches us something. Weather is easy; too warm and we feel hot; too cool and we feel cold; in between those extremes there is a world of different experiences, each enlightening us about weather. And its effects on us and our lives. And what to do with it and survive.

Doing tasks is learned by need, witnessing others perform them, and of course, trial and error. Doing it right has its rewards, but making mistakes teaches is so much more. That lesson alone, is a paradigm worth deep study.

Now people, that’s another area that is already researched, continues to be and will for all eternity. Understanding people is key to knowing them. But knowing is multifaceted and highly variable, always. Plus, the circumstances of being with other people requires many adjustments.

We tolerate some because we have to. We walk away from others because we can. We work with others to complete complicated tasks and feel the reward of the group’s accomplishment. Some people are wonderful co-creators with us. Usually that is a one-on-one arrangement. It becomes personal as the two labor on as one, sharing their brains to solve a problem, understand it, and consider the many options to solve it.

Feelings help us know the world around us. Some feelings are hard to understand, but they give us clues as to their meaning. Some lead us astray, others toward delights and victories. Knowing which is which at any time offers more mysteries and chances for error. And knowledge.

No one says life or living is easy. Challenging, yes, even petrifying at times, but pleasure and comfort are possible. Those have to be worked for, often missing much of the time.

Knowing is one phase of life. We understand something and take it as fact. Problems arise, however, as circumstances change, the knowing is open to other interpretations, and in fact unfold more meanings to know. History shows us this continually. Humanity seeks to know why events happened the way they did, study the issues and come up with an understanding that is acceptable at the time. Later, more facts become known and the meaning of the historical event changes. That is one reason historians have a job that lasts a lifetime. That alone informs us of fresh knowing of facts.

Not knowing is also a fact of life that affects us. We act as though we know but learn soon that we were wrong. That leads to another knowing, and that grows the more we learn about it.

Education is the act of asking the right questions, finding the answers and then continuing to learn more from what we learn continuously. That’s life. That’s growing. That's becoming more as a person. How could we ever be bored?

November 19, 2025

 

 

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