Zone1 Can you know too much?

[Robert Urbanek]

Can you know too much or be too zealous about pursuing knowledge? The penalties and dangers of pursuing knowledge have been expressed in mythology and culture. The Greek god Prometheus was chained to a rock where his liver was eaten by an eagle in a continuous cycle after he gave fire and knowledge to humanity. Per Wikipedia:

In the Western classical tradition, Prometheus became a figure who represented human striving (particularly the quest for scientific knowledge) and the risk of overreaching or unintended consequences. In particular, he was regarded in the Romantic era as embodying the lone genius whose efforts to improve human existence could also result in tragedy.

A more contemporary example of the folly of seeing and knowing all was depicted in the 1963 movie X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes, in which Ray Milland portrays a doctor who invents eye drops that give him X-ray vision. After accidentally killing a friend, he flees to a carnival where he puts his super vision to work as a mind reader. His increasingly powerful vision becomes a curse, and he finally sees beyond the stars to gaze upon the "eye that sees us all" in the center of the universe. He follows a preacher’s admonition, “If thine eye offends thee, pluck it out!”

Do these tales serve a valuable purpose or are they more a reflection of public distrust and fear of intellectuals and scientists, a fear exploited by populist politicians?

 

[Muhammed]

No.

 

[Batcat]

Of course you can know too much.

For example, Jeffery Epstein knew far too much.

 

[fncceo]

Alfred Hitchcock says, "Yes!".

 

[HaShev]

Surely gaining knowledge is a blessing and a curse. Being aware can have benefits, but also stress. Those that are unaware and slow are usually happy, because they don't know that they should be bothered or insulted, yet the opposite end of that spectrum, the more knowledge the more frustration and stress comes from that awareness. So the benefit might be sucessful mastering of life while unhappy and stressed while the naive/unaware or slow people are often not sucessful, but are sometimes happier, like those who are mentally handicaped(people with down syndrome).

 

[Blues Man]

Those in power want you to think you can know too much.

 

[JGalt]

I've forgotten more than I used to know.

 

[Votto]

Alfred Hitchcock says, "Yes!".

View attachment 728631

But that is not for you to know, so yes.

 

[Votto]

I've forgotten more than I used to know.

I can't remember if I've forgotten anything.

 

[BreezeWood]

Can you know too much or be too zealous about pursuing knowledge? The penalties and dangers of pursuing knowledge have been expressed in mythology and culture. The Greek god Prometheus was chained to a rock where his liver was eaten by an eagle in a continuous cycle after he gave fire and knowledge to humanity. Per Wikipedia:

In the Western classical tradition, Prometheus became a figure who represented human striving (particularly the quest for scientific knowledge) and the risk of overreaching or unintended consequences. In particular, he was regarded in the Romantic era as embodying the lone genius whose efforts to improve human existence could also result in tragedy.

A more contemporary example of the folly of seeing and knowing all was depicted in the 1963 movie X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes, in which Ray Milland portrays a doctor who invents eye drops that give him X-ray vision. After accidentally killing a friend, he flees to a carnival where he puts his super vision to work as a mind reader. His increasingly powerful vision becomes a curse, and he finally sees beyond the stars to gaze upon the "eye that sees us all" in the center of the universe. He follows a preacher’s admonition, “If thine eye offends thee, pluck it out!”

Do these tales serve a valuable purpose or are they more a reflection of public distrust and fear of intellectuals and scientists, a fear exploited by populist politicians?

for individuals the outcome is their own reward / catastrophe - letting them loose to build an a-bomb during a world war and using it is where mythology should be center stage but more often than not is ignored.

and worse - as organized religions, political that see and use barriers against practicality unjustly claiming evil when there is non.

 

[Yarddog]

Can you know too much or be too zealous about pursuing knowledge? The penalties and dangers of pursuing knowledge have been expressed in mythology and culture. The Greek god Prometheus was chained to a rock where his liver was eaten by an eagle in a continuous cycle after he gave fire and knowledge to humanity. Per Wikipedia:

In the Western classical tradition, Prometheus became a figure who represented human striving (particularly the quest for scientific knowledge) and the risk of overreaching or unintended consequences. In particular, he was regarded in the Romantic era as embodying the lone genius whose efforts to improve human existence could also result in tragedy.

A more contemporary example of the folly of seeing and knowing all was depicted in the 1963 movie X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes, in which Ray Milland portrays a doctor who invents eye drops that give him X-ray vision. After accidentally killing a friend, he flees to a carnival where he puts his super vision to work as a mind reader. His increasingly powerful vision becomes a curse, and he finally sees beyond the stars to gaze upon the "eye that sees us all" in the center of the universe. He follows a preacher’s admonition, “If thine eye offends thee, pluck it out!”

Do these tales serve a valuable purpose or are they more a reflection of public distrust and fear of intellectuals and scientists, a fear exploited by populist politicians?

Aboslutely! You can know too much and knowing too much can break your brain



Meet the woman who "knew to much"

 

[Robert Urbanek]

Have I been hypnotized mesmerized
By what my eyes have found
By what my eyes have found
In that great street carnival

- Natalie Merchant, "Carnival"

 

[Flopper]

Can you know too much or be too zealous about pursuing knowledge? The penalties and dangers of pursuing knowledge have been expressed in mythology and culture. The Greek god Prometheus was chained to a rock where his liver was eaten by an eagle in a continuous cycle after he gave fire and knowledge to humanity. Per Wikipedia:

In the Western classical tradition, Prometheus became a figure who represented human striving (particularly the quest for scientific knowledge) and the risk of overreaching or unintended consequences. In particular, he was regarded in the Romantic era as embodying the lone genius whose efforts to improve human existence could also result in tragedy.

A more contemporary example of the folly of seeing and knowing all was depicted in the 1963 movie X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes, in which Ray Milland portrays a doctor who invents eye drops that give him X-ray vision. After accidentally killing a friend, he flees to a carnival where he puts his super vision to work as a mind reader. His increasingly powerful vision becomes a curse, and he finally sees beyond the stars to gaze upon the "eye that sees us all" in the center of the universe. He follows a preacher’s admonition, “If thine eye offends thee, pluck it out!”

Do these tales serve a valuable purpose or are they more a reflection of public distrust and fear of intellectuals and scientists, a fear exploited by populist politicians?

Generally, no but it depends on the individual. Knowledge for knowledge sake benefits no one. However, for most people more knowledge opens up more possibilities. And if you believe people in general are more good than evil, they will use those possibilities for good things.

 

[ding]

Can you know too much or be too zealous about pursuing knowledge? The penalties and dangers of pursuing knowledge have been expressed in mythology and culture. The Greek god Prometheus was chained to a rock where his liver was eaten by an eagle in a continuous cycle after he gave fire and knowledge to humanity. Per Wikipedia:

In the Western classical tradition, Prometheus became a figure who represented human striving (particularly the quest for scientific knowledge) and the risk of overreaching or unintended consequences. In particular, he was regarded in the Romantic era as embodying the lone genius whose efforts to improve human existence could also result in tragedy.

A more contemporary example of the folly of seeing and knowing all was depicted in the 1963 movie X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes, in which Ray Milland portrays a doctor who invents eye drops that give him X-ray vision. After accidentally killing a friend, he flees to a carnival where he puts his super vision to work as a mind reader. His increasingly powerful vision becomes a curse, and he finally sees beyond the stars to gaze upon the "eye that sees us all" in the center of the universe. He follows a preacher’s admonition, “If thine eye offends thee, pluck it out!”

Do these tales serve a valuable purpose or are they more a reflection of public distrust and fear of intellectuals and scientists, a fear exploited by populist politicians?

No. But you can be too big for your britches which may be the true moral of those stories.

In other words even smart people with lots of knowledge can do dumb things. It’s almost always advisable to under estimate one’s abilities and over prepare rather than the other way around.

 

[Meriweather]

In other words even smart people with lots of knowledge can do dumb things. It’s almost always advisable to under estimate one’s abilities and over prepare rather than the other way around.

Yes. In the Harry Potter series, Professor Dumbledore noted he had great intelligence/knowledge--and said this meant when he made a mistake, they were huge.

 

[Flopper]

No. But you can be too big for your britches which may be the true moral of those stories.

In other words even smart people with lots of knowledge can do dumb things. It’s almost always advisable to under estimate one’s abilities and over prepare rather than the other way around.

The way I see it is intelligence and education are building blocks of a successful life and career but they not the only ones.

 

[onefour1]

There is a teaching in scripture that says:

Doctrine and Covenants 82:3
3 For of him unto whom much is given much is required; and he who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater condemnation.

Luke 12:48
48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

God is careful to give out certain knowledge until one proves himself/herself faithful. Sinning against the greater light brings a greater condemnation. He will not entrust the keys of the kingdom to those who would treat it lightly. To the faithful, acquiring the knowledge from God is edifying but to those who would abuse the knowledge it is damaging to their soul.

 

[ding]

The way I see it is intelligence and education are building blocks of a successful life and career but they not the only ones.

Correct. Intelligence and knowledge without integrity can be dangerous.

 

[Woodznutz]

Our 'knowledge' is riddled with error. We replace error with truth over time. It's a process that doesn't end.