How much is enough?

Known unknowns and unknown unknowns!

Moderators: AMod, iMod

Walker
Posts: 14280
Joined: Thu Nov 05, 2015 12:00 am

How much is enough?

Post by Walker »

How much is enough?

If you knew you had only a week left, would you spend it learning something new?

I once heard somewhere that Leonardo da Vinci was the last person to know everything. Whether or not that’s true, it sounds possible, within the realm of human capacity at that time.

Charles Krauthammer said that his father told him to learn everything, so he tried to do that.
These days, a lifetime isn’t long enough to learn everything.

After the point of no return, why keep dumping life down the bottomless well of acquiring knowledge?
User avatar
-1-
Posts: 2888
Joined: Thu Sep 07, 2017 1:08 am

Re: How much is enough?

Post by -1- »

Walker wrote: Thu Dec 13, 2018 6:12 am How much is enough?

If you knew you had only a week left, would you spend it learning something new?
Yes, I would learn something new and useful, like how to extend my life one more week by learning how to operate a medical gadget aimed at myself, should that be the extending factor.

But I would not start to learn the piano, ancient Sanscrit, (I can't even spell it, for crying out loud --or else Google can't spell it, I got a red under-squiggle), or advanced hybertronics.

I would start to learn methods how to alleviate my fear and anxiety upon my impending death.

I would start to learn how to "let go" of things I can't change but had wanted to, and of things that are dear to me... literal things, like maps, computer, my dyckie, my porno collection, etc.
gaffo
Posts: 4259
Joined: Mon Nov 27, 2017 3:15 am

Re: How much is enough?

Post by gaffo »

Walker wrote: Thu Dec 13, 2018 6:12 am How much is enough?

If you knew you had only a week left, would you spend it learning something new?

I once heard somewhere that Leonardo da Vinci was the last person to know everything. Whether or not that’s true, it sounds possible, within the realm of human capacity at that time.

Charles Krauthammer said that his father told him to learn everything, so he tried to do that.
These days, a lifetime isn’t long enough to learn everything.

After the point of no return, why keep dumping life down the bottomless well of acquiring knowledge?
knowing i cannot "know" ("{why? i exist"- i no longer think there is a why to why i live/exist (think the assumpion of a reason for is genetic(biased thought) - so not valid IMO)

if i know i had only 1 week to live (as I do not assuming anything - might die in traffic accident tomorrow or live another 40 yrs) - either way.

I'm fine in not striving to "know" and to sit on a park bench viewing the birds/squirells and leaves............and enjoying the moment. not assuming anything after.

if there is more - great! - but being an Atheist, i make no assumptions, but do take not of the squirals/birds/etc.............for granted.

every day i've been allowed to live and do so,taking note.
surreptitious57
Posts: 4257
Joined: Fri Oct 25, 2013 6:09 am

Re: How much is enough?

Post by surreptitious57 »

Walker wrote:
If you knew you had only a week left would you spend it learning something new
No I would not because knowledge of my death would make it impossible to actually learn anything at all
I would need a longer time frame than that and so I could probably learn something if I had a year to live
Veritas Aequitas
Posts: 12356
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2012 4:41 am

Re: How much is enough?

Post by Veritas Aequitas »

It is not quantity but rather it is quality that counts.

It is like the saying;
  • "give a man a fish and you feed him for a day;
    teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime"
Thus in terms of the whole person,
it is critical to 'Know Thyself' in terms of the generic human's meaning and purpose of life [nb: NEVER theological] and how one can live optimally.

Where a person is striving efficiently and optimally to align oneself to the above, then that is enough.
Age
Posts: 20192
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2018 8:17 am

Re: How much is enough?

Post by Age »

Veritas Aequitas wrote: Sun Dec 23, 2018 7:10 am It is not quantity but rather it is quality that counts.

It is like the saying;
  • "give a man a fish and you feed him for a day;
    teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime"
Thus in terms of the whole person,
it is critical to 'Know Thyself' in terms of the generic human's meaning and purpose of life [nb: NEVER theological] and how one can live optimally.
SO, what is the answer?

Do you, veritas, actually 'Know Thyself'?

Can you actually tell us; What is THE GENERIC HUMAN's meaning and purpose in life?

You are after all telling us now that this information is "critical" to Know.
Veritas Aequitas wrote: Sun Dec 23, 2018 7:10 amWhere a person is striving efficiently and optimally to align oneself to the above, then that is enough.
But what IS the above?

You NEVER informed us of what this actual "critical" information is. You just informed us that it was "critical" to Know.

If as you say, It is CRITICAL to 'Know Thyself' in terms of the generic human's meaning and purpose in life, then how about informing those of us who do NOT know of this, supposedly, CRITICAL information yet? What do you say, are you going to inform us? So, that each one can, as you say, "optimally align thyself to THAT, (what you may or may not inform us of).

We will just have to wait and SEE if you do give us this "critical" information and answer, or not.
LoganC
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Jan 05, 2019 6:45 pm

Re: How much is enough?

Post by LoganC »

Why post a limit? Why not learn what interests you and leave it at that?
Eodnhoj7
Posts: 8595
Joined: Mon Mar 13, 2017 3:18 am

Re: How much is enough?

Post by Eodnhoj7 »

"To know the limits of something; desire them."
duszek
Posts: 2356
Joined: Wed Jun 03, 2009 5:27 pm
Location: Thin Air

Re: How much is enough?

Post by duszek »

Adding new information without a system in one´s mind is not as surprising and rewarding as exploring the contents of one´s mind (in slow motion) and making connections and if a new intriguing hypothesis shows up one can check it by research sharpened by this particular aim.

The knowledge in our minds is like a sand castle. The construction should have some plan and be decorated with stylish elements.
Otherwise it is just an ugly heap of sand.
Walker
Posts: 14280
Joined: Thu Nov 05, 2015 12:00 am

Re: How much is enough?

Post by Walker »

LoganC wrote: Mon Jan 07, 2019 11:58 pm Why post a limit? Why not learn what interests you and leave it at that?
Because ... over indulgence leads to imbalance, which distorts learning due to misuse and misunderstanding of knowledge, as illustrated with the water snake parable. Once knowledge serves its purpose then knowledge is no longer the purpose, as illustrated by the raft parable in which the unnecessary is discarded.

https://www.thoughtco.com/the-buddhas-r ... ble-450054
Walker
Posts: 14280
Joined: Thu Nov 05, 2015 12:00 am

Re: How much is enough?

Post by Walker »

Eodnhoj7 wrote: Tue Jan 08, 2019 7:57 pm "To know the limits of something; desire them."
The limit of desire is one.
The limit of something is Borg.

All desires must join the one desire.
Resistance is futile.
The variable is sooner, or later.

Zero desire transcends the limit.
Non-attachment to desire is the transcendental how.
Nick_A
Posts: 6208
Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2012 1:23 am

Re: How much is enough?

Post by Nick_A »

Walker
How much is enough?
Recent advances in science have proven that a henway is enough.
Walker
Posts: 14280
Joined: Thu Nov 05, 2015 12:00 am

Re: How much is enough?

Post by Walker »

Understandable when advances in nutrition cause a typical one to weigh rather heavily on the arcane these days.
Nick_A
Posts: 6208
Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2012 1:23 am

Re: How much is enough?

Post by Nick_A »

Walker wrote: Wed Jan 16, 2019 3:08 pm Understandable when advances in nutrition cause a typical one to weigh rather heavily on the arcane these days.
Quite true. I see you understand how the concept can relate to particle physics. It is essential to keep the idea pure so that its ramifications can only become obvious at the right time. In this way it cannot be taken lightly,
Walker
Posts: 14280
Joined: Thu Nov 05, 2015 12:00 am

Re: How much is enough?

Post by Walker »

Nick_A wrote: Wed Jan 16, 2019 7:28 pm
Walker wrote: Wed Jan 16, 2019 3:08 pm Understandable when advances in nutrition cause a typical one to weigh rather heavily on the arcane these days.
Quite true. I see you understand how the concept can relate to particle physics. It is essential to keep the idea pure so that its ramifications can only become obvious at the right time. In this way it cannot be taken lightly,
As does light, all short-timers reach the timeless view of no-time when knowledge suddenly empties like the proverbial straw that touched the camel’s back, or like a balloon one drop past the limit, or like a well-timed wafer-thin mint.
Post Reply