Internet, the knowledge of the world awaits you

This week has been filled with research surrounding business and personal decision making. As the intensity subsided a bit, it occurred to me just how quickly I could find information on any given subject due to the Internet and google. I mean, Holy Cow! Being raised in an era when the local library was the center of knowledge and research was done by collecting piles of books, correlating the findings into something reasonably understandable and putting together all that information in a conclusive way. Phew! Today, we boot up the old computer, type something into the subject line, click and there is the world's knowledge passing before us. Common place for those younger than I but totally amazing to me. My thinking is this: That information had to be inputted into the web sites by someone. At least in the beginning. You couldn't really lay a keyboard onto the pages of a book and have it absorbed could you? Thousands upon thousands of people collectively placed our sciences, knowledge and history into the hands of all of us. Hour after hour, after hour, day after day, etc. An incredible feat accomplished by people from all walks of life. The Pyramids were almost impossible to build until the collective efforts of hundreds and probably thousands of people worked together. With the computer we didn't have to enslave anyone, at least that I am aware of. Reading about the seven wonders of the world is made much easier by the eighth wonder of the world: the Internet.
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Some of my research involved other countries and cultures: Likes and dislikes, freedoms and restrictions, comparisons of lifestyles. Obvious as it is to many of us, I was struck by exactly why there is such a drive in backward, third world cultures to improve their lot in life. That drive wasn't so apparent only a few decades ago. The reasoning is that those backward cultures had little idea what existed beyond their extremely limited view of the world. No wonder those countries that have totalitarian governments limit or completely outlaw the use of cell phones, Ipads and computers. With so many people, inputting information 24/7 into our collective resources those regimes have much to fear. Actually it's only a matter of time. Sadly they will not go quietly into the night. Case in point Syria. Maybe even the United States in some ways. But, conquer tyranny it will. The dams of ignorance are being knocked down and knowledge is flooding the world. I find that incredible still.

If only the Internet came with standards of civility and morals and all things good. We're still sorting that out aren't we?

Wisdom vs Knowledge

I had a wonderful working vacation. Evenings at the lake, family visiting from across the state, campfires, stories, fishing, sleeping in, baseball on the radio. Life couldn't have been better. Unless, of course I didn't have to commute back and forth to work every day. But, that was even OK because I worked less than 8 hours a day when I usually work 10 to 12. Hot weather and cool water make a great combination don't they?

Some of my time was spent in discussions with a long time friend. He's going through some health issues that although they are not life threatening, they certainly are painfully cramping his abilities. He's gone from doctor to doctor to find some way of reversing or at least slowing the progression of his "old age infirmities", as he call them. He is one of the most knowledgeable people I know. He spends hours and hours a day learning about things I didn't even know existed. We can be talking about any subject and he knows the whys and wherefores concerning every facet of its existence. I admire that. However, he has one glaring problem. He's so very smart and has not one ounce of common sense. He often mistakes his knowledge for wisdom. They are, unfortunately not the same. I have knowledge of those things which concern me. Not much about those things that don't. I think that I have inherited a great deal of common sense, or wisdom though. Let me explain what we talked about and you decide.

He has a muscular/skeletal problem which he defines as a disease often striking older people. For some reason he chooses to not be too specific about it. He says that there is nothing that can be done so he had resigned himself to being without much of his physical abilities. He "was done trying," he said. I explained that I could only guess how difficult it is to be going through so much pain and immobility. However, I was raised and still believe to this day that it never hurts to keep trying. After several conversations he decided to try a new thing that some "Quack" came up with. It was an exercise and didn't cost him a dime. He did the exercise and within a 12 hour period he felt stronger and could move his arm. Other things happened after that.

I feel it's a mistake to think that knowledge brings wisdom. Knowledge told him any further effort was useless. Wisdom told him that he had nothing to lose. He's having a better day because he's just a little bit wiser. Never give up trying............