Artfulness in Knowledge – Part 2

Contrast between the Learned and the Wise

There are several important differences between the learned who know only the theory of how to do good deeds (but may not practice it) and the wise who may not know much but use everything they know to boost their opportunity to do good deeds. Unfortunately, knowledge in the hands of a fool (or even a learned person) can be a dangerous thing. If our only knowledge is academic knowledge, no matter how clever we might be, there is always a risk of making a mess of our lives.

For example, if we have a knowledge of nuclear physics, we can use it for peaceful applications as an energy source -- on the other hand we can use our knowledge to produce atomic bombs and the resulting holocaust towards human life. Thus ethical considerations need to go hand in hand with our academic knowledge, like a guiding light to give us clarity as to whether the application of our knowledge is good or bad, appropriate or inappropriate. Those who are interested only in academic learning, no matter how clever, rich or powerful they may be, can never manage to make themselves endearing or worthy of the respect of others and in the end they cannot make a success out of their lives.