In the little time I have spent interacting with so many people from different walks of life, I found a vast majority (alarming as well) who are very complacent with regards to the knowledge that they possess. Everyone is very happy about the little, pathetic and the partial knowledge that they possess having read the books prescribed to them during the course of their education. But there are also those who do not stop where the line is drawn. They venture further and deeper to harness all the sources of knowledge that exist around them.
These are the people who exploit every channel, medium or resource through which they could learn something. These are the people who may have exceptionally good knowledge about the discipline or the area they choose. Be it the knowledge of fine arts, be it the knowledge of sciences or religion or philosophy, these are the people who set themselves apart from the crowd. In my endeavor to talk about them, I shall be referring to them as philosophers. This is a slight deviation from the usual meaning associated with the term but I choose to do this for convenience.
The “philosophers” I have met, to me, have come in two types. The type 1 philosopher and of a more common occurrence is the one who possesses and also makes the effort to let others know he possesses. He is the person who, perhaps by gifted skill and ability, has managed to garner a vast amount of knowledge. But he is also a person who is ready to engage in factual debates and arguments. He is a person with a cynical air around him. He is a person who would leave no chance to show his superiority. And especially if this person has never met anyone who matches his knowledge will also exhibit a complex best described as superior.
Yes, these have taken pains and done a lot of hard work to get what they have but these are also the persons who are no good for they shall be more interested to tell what they know to show how much they know rather than to help the person in front. These are also the people who shall be laughed at and maybe even despised in the society for their haughtiness. Painful it is for me to say this but it seems like their whole purpose of acquisition of knowledge was merely to show the very acquisition.
Then there are the type 2 philosophers – contented, at peace and humbled by the knowledge they acquire. Humbled, because they know how insignificant they themselves are! These are the people who not only possess knowledge but also have the wisdom to know their knowledge and its purpose. These are the people who will avoid cynicism and haughtiness. These are the people who will share their knowledge and not blurt it out. These people also understand that the reason some people do not possess knowledge is because the conditions prevalent around them have not been favorable for such intellectual inquiry. They shall hence feel glad for having been granted conditions wherein they could elevate themselves.
So, if you were to become a “philosopher”, do try and make yourselves the type 2 philosopher. And let the type 1 go extinct. We do need men of knowledge but more importantly we need men of wisdom. And if you are led to think about the people around you and start putting them in type 1 or type 2, please don’t. These are not mutually exclusive, according to me. Both the types are living in us. The effort should be to gradually evolve with less of type 1 in us and more of type 2.