I've always been someone who treasured knowledge. I like knowing things. I like reading about things and retaining that knowledge. This usually only for things that interested me, however. Sometimes I would force myself to read something I didnt like, but I never could retain knowledge for those topics so I found that to be a futile sport.
I was very happy with this arrangement and enjoyed consuming books and books of information. The past 2 months, 2 people have mentioned that knowing for the sake of just knowing isnt a good reason to learn. On both occasions I had nothing to say. Its true that learning for the sake of knowledge doesnt lead anywhere, like the Dead Sea where water only runs in but not out (and hence its incredible saltiness and lack of life forms).
One remark was, "Knowledge puffs up". A well known verse in the Bible and one which I have read the remedy for. Apparently what you need to do is to use that knowledge and live it out. Or teach it. Use it and dont just keep it for the sake of archival interests. The reason I was stuck for words on that occasion is because I was thinking, "does this mean you should stop learning until you have managed to live out what you learnt in that one time?"
I have since come to the conclusion that that would be a rather silly way of getting about for a number of reasons:
1) change happens very slowly and waiting until you have completely changed your ways or applied the bit of wisdom/information would retard your growth. Maybe you would have mastered one deformity of your character by the time you died, but you would have neglected the rest out of ignorance
2) when you allow yourself to slack off, you fall into a habit of laziness and your brain becomes rusty. What a waste of intelligence. And if your character will not allow you that vice, you end up pouring your energy into things that are meaningless and worthless, especially in terms of eternity
3) if going to conferences and talks for the sake of knowledge isnt good enough, then what DO you go to them for? Fellowship - well isnt fellowship in the church sufficient for the reflection of the heavenly ekklesia? Why do you feel like you need to seek more? Why is this reason a better reason than going for knowledge?
I probably could think of more reasons if I thought for long enough but that would be a waste of my time because its essentially finding fault in something which I feel is wrong already anyway. Hence, my opinion is that learning for the sake of learning is perfectly fine because I doubt that all that knowledge will be solely retained for the sake of pride anyway. I do admit that I am a rather proud person, but somehow I doubt that the most of it is due to the little knowledge I own.
I will not stop learning, even if the opinions against it came from good friends of mine. We are all human and subject to folly. For this issue, I stand firm in learning as much as I want and can, even if its for the sake of wanting to know more.
