DAY 41 - So, What Do You Really Actually Know?

I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance.          Socrates (469 BCE - 399 BCE

Knowledge Is Power

At a 2002 NATO press conference, in response to a question regarding the absent WMDs (weapons of mass destruction) in Iraq, then Secretary of Defence for the US Donald Rumsfeld replied: "Now what is the message there? The message is that there are no "knowns." There are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say there are things that we now know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. These are things we don't know we don't know. So when we do the best we can and we pull all this information together, and we then say well that's basically what we see as the situation, that is really only the known 'knowns' and the known 'unknowns'. And each year, we discover a few more of those unknown unknowns."

Secretary Rumsfeld Press Conference at NATO Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium (June 6, 2002)

What does it mean to know something? Dictionary.com defines 'know' as:

1. To perceive or understand as fact or truth; to apprehend clearly and with certainty: I know the situation fully.
2. To have established or fixed in the mind or memory: to know a poem by heart; Do you know the way to the park from here?
3. To be cognizant or aware of: I know it
4. Be acquainted with (a thing, place, person, etc.), as by sight, experience, or report: to know the mayor.
5. To understand from experience or attainment (usually fol. by how before an infinitive): to know how to make gingerbread.
6. To be able to distinguish, as one from another: to know right from wrong.
7. Archaic. to have sexual intercourse with.
8. To have knowledge or clear and certain perception, as of fact or truth.
9. To be cognizant or aware, as of some fact, circumstance, or occurrence; have information, as about something.
10. The fact or state of knowing; knowledge.

Of course, knowing something is different from knowing how to do something. And neither is necessarily easier than the other. In the next two activities, you will be examining the nature of knowledge from two competing perspectives: rationalism and empiricism. However, before you begin identifying what and how you know something, first you must determine what it is you know.

So what do you know?
To find out, try this experiment. Take 2 minutes and write out everything you know. Don't stop to think, just let the ideas flow freely. Use a watch to time yourself or if this is during class I'll time you.

So what did you write down? Was it a jumble of random information or was it on a single topic? Did you use any organizational scheme or simply jot down points linearly?

No matter how you wrote out your information, odds are you didn't manage to write everything you know. That's because you've collected a HUGE amount of information, and continue to add to that storehouse each and every day. In fact, at times it may seem like you know everything (or, at least, your parents might say that's what you think). Unfortunately, you can't. Sorry. Why not?

Well, the answer is simple: perspective.

You see, you see. But only you. You can't, for example, with all certainty see your friend's perspective. Sure, they can tell you what they know, think or feel, but how can you be absolutely sure you understand exactly what they mean?

As the image depicts, your knowledge may both be light, but your perspectives filter and change the outcome.

2. Flat Earth Society

Are you worried you might know too much? Have no fear (or any ideas for that matter)! The Flat Earth Society is here. Operating since the mid-eighteenth century, this group holds that the Earth is indeed flat - after all, when you look out your window does the Earth look round?

To learn more about the Flat Earth Society and its mission click on the link.

However, despite this rather eccentric group's outlook, the idea of a round Earth is a relatively recent conception. 500 years ago most people believed the Earth was flat, simply because both personal observations coupled with societal common sense told them it was. However, with advancements, experiments and revision came a new conclusion: the Earth was, in fact, round! No wonder Socrates suggested he knew nothing...after all, how long can you be certain your current knowledge will be correct?

Or, to quote Agent K from Men in Black,

"A thousand years ago everybody knew as a fact, that the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew that the Earth was flat, and fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on it. Imagine what you'll know tomorrow."

End Scene of Men in Black.

How Well Do You Know Yourself?

There are thousands of personality tests available online that aim to unearth some hidden knowledge about who you are. Whether Freud's focus on sexuality or Skinner's suggestion that behaviour determines personality, the goal is the same: discovering what people have in common and who you are. Some psychological tests - such as the Rorschach inkblot test - have not stood the test of time. Indeed, many people give personality tests with the same credence as they would horoscopes.

Other tests, however, continue to emerge, and thousands of new psychology students enter the profession each year. What else could explain this but the drive to discover some hidden knowledge about ourselves?

So, why not try a personality test out for yourself? Click here to take a free personality test. This test is based off of Carl Jung's personality types, and is still widely used today. After taking the test, click here to find out a detailed analysis of your Myers-Brigg personality type.

Did you find that the test supplied you with any new knowledge about yourself? If so, what? If not, why not?