12. Logical Belief does Not Always Equal Knowledge

...or Understanding.

Our thirst for knowledge is unquenchable; regardless of how we satisfy it, we always want to know more. Even when we are not actively pursuing knowledge, this “seeking” phenomenon cannot be stopped. It is there in our desire to see the ends of movies (not just the beginnings), in our attempt to fix problems and to discover the causes of illness. Nevertheless, while knowledge is required for survival, we can trick ourselves into thinking that it is possible to reach a state of complete understanding, and definitive proof of everything that is real.

Knowledge is a very limited commodity.

While potential knowledge is infinite, conscious logical knowledge is confined by the boundaries of time and experience. Even what we know and how we know it is defined by our own perspective and expectations, as well as our own variable environments. If we are satisfied with the knowledge we possess, we may be less open to new information. In that case, we may keep viewing our understanding from the same perspective, believing it to be an unchangeable truth until an opportunity arises that allows us to challenge our beliefs, or to add a new or different dimension to our perception.

Today always marks the zenith of our comprehension, for just as a child cannot imagine what the adult mind will know, we cannot know at this moment, what we may learn ten years from now. But we can be aware that our future knowledge is constructed of what we fill our minds today.

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