Knowing Is Not Enough

When we are young we need to learn that we need to learn—that we need to know—that wee need to acquire competence. Knowledge is power. It is a prerequisite to competence. “It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance.” “A man is saved no faster than he gets knowledge.” Goethe is credited with a striking comment. “Nothing,” he said, “is more important than to see ignorance in action.”

These concepts are basic to the truth of all time. But in all process of learning, in all our education and effort, we need also to know that simply knowing is not enough. There would seem to be ample evidence, for example, that Satan himself knows much, but uses his knowledge negatively.

Many, many things—facts, rules, laws, commandments, causes and consequences—have been known to man from the furthest dim past down to this very day—known centuries or ages since, but ignored. And new evidence and discoveries are constantly accumulating in matters pertaining to health, competence, peace, and quiet conscience—evidences which, because of appetites of economic interests, are often ignored. It is known that many things are not good for man, that what a person eats, how he lives—his habits—have much to do with hid health—yet appetite and habit often persuade people to act unwisely. Many things are known to be unwholesome for man, unwise to partake of, physically, mentally, or morally. Man has long known the commandments, the consequences of indulgence, of excess, of dishonesty, of falseness of infidelity. Yet many feel they can “play it smart” and somehow slip through—somehow be the exception; that they can set causes in motion without having to encounter the consequences. But in day of much learning, of much knowing, of increasing knowledge, we still need to learn how unwise it is to ignore what we know—to learn that we must follow the laws of health and happiness. Knowledge—truth—must be accepted, used, acted on, lived by. To know is essential; but simply knowing is not enough.