The Art of Not Knowing Everything

 The Art of Not Knowing Everything 

 

“The greatest knowledge is to know that you know nothing.”

In a time where information is at our fingertips and can be accessed easily, one can easily feel that he/she should know everything. But why? Why are we so inclined towards knowing everything? Even though, on the one hand, we have the Google search bar and, on the other hand, the AI assistant, and both of them can give any kind of information we want. But what if there is some value in not knowing everything? What if I say there's a certain magic in being a rebel and let those questions linger? And what if I say, “I'm not joking but being serious?" The art of not knowing everything gives us deep benefits, from profound creativity to real connections with others. Let's dig deeper on why ‘not knowing everything’ is an important attitude everyone should adopt. 

What is the Art of Not Knowing?

The art of not knowing everything is great, but what exactly is this—a question that must be troubling you all? So, this art is nothing but a simple habit that every individual should adopt. And not just blindly, but after understanding the essence of this art. The ‘art of not knowing everything’ is not as easy as it sounds but a complex art that requires a deep understanding of the art as well as the situation you are in. 

In simple words, enjoying the journey instead of focusing on the destination is the essence of this art. Embrace the unknown and learn to live with uncertainty, find peace in what you can't control.

Why Practice This?

Now that we talked about what exactly this art is, still a question arises, i.e., why are we required to practice this habit? The simple answer to this is peace. Once you start focusing on your present and stop worrying about your past and future, you'll realise how peaceful your life is. 

They say happiness has now literally become a task that a person should complete regularly to achieve the result, i.e., good mental health, and one of the best ways to fulfil this task is to follow the ‘art of not knowing everything’. 

Life will never give you a clear answer, and once you start following this art in such an ambiguous life, you'll be able to see the real beauty of this world. 

 Reality Vs Video Games

Let's understand this with a metaphor: life as compared to video games. In video games, you have a main character and several different elements like skills, levels, villains, and lives. As you proceed, you unlock different skills, whereas the difficulty increases with new and strong enemies. Now every time there's a boss fight up ahead in your journey, you study everything about that fight, ranging from the weaknesses of the boss to the power-ups of the boss, and will eventually clear that level and move on. The same cycle repeats until the game ends. Moreover, you still have multiple lives and checkpoints to continue the game from a certain point if you die. All this knowledge and information about the game can make the game easy to complete, but the fun it had before you knew everything about it fades.

Now, if I remove all those things, you are left with just your character. And a main character without those attributes is just a normal person who's the main character of his own life. Life is also a game where the main character is you and the bosses are the difficulties you face throughout your life, and supports are the companions you make in your journey. The only difference is that life is uncertain and unpredictable, whereas a game is already written by a person who once wished reality to be just a game.

The Point of This Contrast

So, what's the purpose of this contrast? It's simple: instead of focusing on “what's next”, start focusing on your “now”. You can have the required knowledge to beat the next level of the game, but you can never know how to beat the next obstacle of your life. Remember, life will never give a clear answer. Start accepting that the main character of a game can be perfect and easily win solo, but the main character of a reality can never be perfect; he will always need the support of his/her companions.

Conclusion 

Life becomes more like a mystery novel where each character, each moment, and each page holds the promise of discovery. So, don't let the curiosity inside of you die by knowing everything; leave some space for wonders, exploration, and creativity. Just imagine if everyone knew what was to be done next; then there would be no space for art. But as one can never know all the answers, it gave us that space for art, and it was possible for us to see the work of all those brilliant artists, writers, and inventors who changed the world with their art.  

So here's to the art of not knowing—an art that keeps us grounded, keeps us curious, and reminds us that even if some answers stay hidden, some mysteries may remain unsolved, but that doesn't mean the story isn't the best. There is beauty in the unfinished, in the imperfections, in the open space, and in the magic of questions left unanswered.

To reflect on what we just went through, let us conclude this blog with a profound verse from the Shrimad Bhagwad Gita:

"One who is not disturbed by the dualities of happiness and distress and is unbothered by the uncertainties of life is certainly eligible for liberation."

— Bhagavad Gita 2.14

Are you ready to let some questions remain unanswered and see where life leads?