Is there such a thing as too much knowledge?

Today, particularly after a Reiki healing session, I found myself asking this question, and I cannot stop asking it. I really need people's own answers on this question, to understand it myself.

Is there such thing as too much knowledge?

If there is or isn't, no one's got to worry about it.

Originally posted by Indigo_Child
Today, particularly after a Reiki healing session, I found myself asking this question, and I cannot stop asking it. I really need people's own answers on this question, to understand it myself.

Is there such thing as too much knowledge?

IMO, the old quote'ignorance is bliss' was not so wrong.
At times, I would give all I have to not be "able' to see and perceive all that I do personally..
Life would be so much easier if all I COULD care about is clothes, houses and new cars...seems to me the materialists have such an easy life, no wisdom or responsibility for your karma or the karma of the planet..
This is just one fool's opinion, but I used to tell my ex husband 'it must be easy to see things as you do..he said 'no, your life is much harder'
I hope I am being seen as I am, a humble worker for betterment?

Too much knowledge or too much technology? Why is it a persistent theme to live in bliss on a paradise like island with the mate of you choice? Many will disagree but that is a persistent "dream" and theme in movies, reality shows, etc. Perhaps genetic memory of the garden of eden?

If it's too much knowledge about the JFK assassination or too much knowledge about Whitewater or too much knowledge about Rosie O'Donnell's naked body, then the answer is yes.

Peace

[edit on 11-5-2005 by Dr Love]

"I know that everything we will ever know and experience is imprinted in our dna".I believe this has to deal with how far a person is spiritually evolved enough to handle it or it might make no sense at all."Knowledge can do some strange things to people."

Depends on who you ask.

To the fundamentalist Christians, who are aghast to discover that college education tends to turn you into a liberal, the answer is a resounding "yes." And yes, there are cases where knowledge (if you're caring for a dying person) is painful and you might wish you had less. To proponents of some alternative energies, the answer is "yes" (because knowledge will make it far easier for you to spot frauds.)

In general, the answer is "no." The better educated you are, the more able you are to impact the world and to change things for yourself and your friends. The more education and knowledge you have, the less likely you are to be a victim of common scams and frauds.

And in general, knowledge brings respect.

[edit on 11-5-2005 by Byrd]

"The absolute truth is the passing away of all previous truths".

Meditate on that.

there is no such thing as too much knowledge. there is an amount of knowledge you can obtain/attain. but the things you aren't supposed to know aren't being made available to you. the amount and kind of knowledge available varies per person. someone who is spiritually more ahead in his path will be able to unlock certain doors to gain new knowledge.

but with knowledge also comes responsibility. when you know something you can't pretend not to know. the more you know the more impact you'll have in the world and your own karma as well as others. this can be both good and bad.

living as a mormon in bliss at times seems like a wonderfull thing. in the end it's your own responsibility and choice though. do you want all knowledge and all that comes with it? or do you draw the line for yourself and be happy with what you got.

[edit on 11-5-2005 by Enyalius]

The U.S. spends untold billions on spying. They spy from orbit, in the air, on the net and with eyes and ears on the ground.

The knowledge gained from this HUGE investment has made it the most powerful nation on the globe.

For the average person that makes decisions in life that effect your future, such as choosing a mate, making investments, buying a home, what to eat etc...... the more you know, the more sound your decision.

Having some knowledge about many things can only help.

Dr Love had a point about what you know, but if you know, lets hope you also know enough not to let them know what you know.

Knowledge beyond that which is needed is too much.

Knowledge for the sake of knowing is folly.
What use is knowledge that will never be used?

Thanks everyone, all your answers are thought provoking. My own take on this question, is based on what Ishes said ""The absolute truth is the passing away of all previous truths".

I have always thought that our mind is capable of storing infinite knowledge, and it is good to learn as much as you can. To completely immerse yourself in books, and gather knowledge in every field. To educate yourself as much as you can, as Byrd said. Now, I am not so sure. In the Reiki session, masses of mental stress was revealed in me, due to my overactive thinking and excess knowledge. I had too much knowledge. I also had neglected other aspects of my life, for a life of contemplation, learning and accumulating knowledge.

Incidentally, this is not the first time I have been told this. A time ago, a spiritual teacher(whom I found very overbearing) told me to stop reading books. I did not heed to the advice, in fact I thought she was simply ignorant. Now, I am beginning to realise the need of what she said. I have been thinking for a while now, but not as clearly as I have today, more like passing thoughts, that perhaps I have as much knowledge as I need already, why do I need any more?

I think this is the main reason that has worked against me all this time - too much knowledge. I thought I was calm, peaceful and positive. However, if I was calm, peaceful and positive, why do I find it so difficult to relax and have fun. Why do I get angry so quickly? Obviously, I am not calm, peaceful and positive. However, by doing meditation, I had created a false sense of progress. I wasn't meditating at all.

Who really wanted all this knowledge? Was it my soul that already knows all there is to know, or was it my pride? I was simplying feeding my ego, and at the same time I thought I was egoless. Wrong! It still astonishes me, how easy it is to be fooled by your own mind. Honestly, I could have sworn on oath, that I was completely transformed and now a calm and spiritual person.

You know in many yogic and Buddhist traditions, they tell you to rid of the ego and become a peaceful and loving person to become enlightened. Now, just how many spiritual people do you meet, that claim they are ridden of their egos, yet their outward behavior shows something else altogether. How many people have you met that say they are enlightened, yet cannot teach you anything worthwhile nor can stand against scrutiny. How many people claim to be psychic, but cannot demonstrate it? We are so sure of ourselves, that we ridicule, condemn or pity their delusions. We are so sure that we are much more rational and prudish than them to fall into such self-created illusions. Yet, how do we know that we are not deluding ourselves as well?

The ego is so devious and cunning, that it can mask itself in our own false image of ourselves, no matter which philosophies and ideologies we harbor. Even, when we think we have taken rid of an ego, all it does is change costume. Nothing changes. It's like trying to find your way out of a maze, only to find you end up exactly where you started.

I've lost count of how many times i've been convinced I've known something, onty to realise later I never did. I've even lost count of many times I've humbled myself by declaring that I know nothing, yet not knowing that I had declaring a knowing, how do you know that you know what you know? It's like when someone they say that nobody can comprehend god; how can god be incomprehensible, if we are comprehending him as incomprehensible. They say imagination is limitless; how can imagination be limitless, if we've set a limit of limitless to it?

So, how I know that I know what I know? Everytime I answer this question, and think I know, later I find out through direct experience, I don't know, and have to find another answer. False knowledge is not good for you. It does not let you progress. This is why, in my humble opinion, there IS something called too much knowledge, and it is not good for us, as it gives our minds too much to think about and to much to doubt. It's like overtraining your mind, just like you can overtrain your muscles. It needs time to rest, and absorb the knowledge, and apply it to our immediate need, otherwise it is lost in the unconscious of our mind.

Now, if this was not true, why is that so many geniuses are also depressed or socially incompetent? Why do so many serial killers and psychopaths have brilliant minds? Why do mentally ill paitents have overactive minds? Too much knowledge? When we are reading all these conspiracy theories, aren't we edging further to the line between sanity and insanity? That is why I've stopped reading a lot on conspiracies. I might just go mad with all knowledge.

Yet, surely that would be a contradiction, if the soul has all knowledge. So, perhaps the more better answer would be, we can only have too much knowledge if we cannot deal with it.

[edit on 11-5-2005 by Indigo_Child]

IMO, there is a vast difference between wisdom and knowledge.
A person can have 3 doctorates and they have knowledge of their area of interest.
Wisdom is a different creature altogether, as wisdom is rarely imparted but to a few, as only a few have interest or care to be a wiser human..
So, to be 'in the know' means what?

Power rests on the kind of knowledge one holds.What is the sense of knowing things that are useless?They will not prepare us for our unavoidable encounter with the uknown.-The teachings of Don Juan

I agree with the fact that too much knowledge is bad, to an extent. I find that when I am confused I needmore knowledge or I will drive myself mad when I don't know the answer.
But on the negative side, what if someone's mind has opened up to the point where spiritual knowledge pours in that's not meant to be there? Does that put the person in danger of something? Or is it just too much for that person to handle and the mind breaks down?

Well, in my opinion, there is no such thing as to much information, however it does depend on the variables, such as, the person, the subject of the information, et al.

Yes, there can be too much knowledge.

Because to understand what one "knows", one must have a change in being. People who "know" the same knowledge but who are in a different state of being will not understand one another.

Knowledge and being are different.

what? Too much knowledge?
...............................................

i think that Jeopardy (TV gameshow) champion,
Mr Ken Jennings, raised the bar of what constitutes 'knowledge'

he won over $2 million, played 74 contests
see: www.aurorawdc.com...

If, you are as knowledgeable as he proved himself to be,
then you do have some solid ground to stand on
in saying how tormented and perplexed you are with
the facts, data, knowledge your brain has accumulated.

I personally think that mega knowledge is OK,
but, it needs to be organized and retriveable
so that your learned & experienced knowledge
can be utilized, & therefore be of any value !

otherwise, you'll probably get information overload
get all in a tizzy and become a babbling 'ma-roon'
(said in my best Moe Howard ,3 Stooges, imitation)

Yes, too much of anything is bad.

Think about how many creatures get by with so little "knowledge".

Here we are reading, talking, learning and quite often getting disillusioned with the world. There are times when I wished I could press delete or something. Go back to happy times when all I worried about was missing my fav TV show.

One point I would make is martial artists. Picture this. Ancient masters used to practice one move. Just the one. Over and over, always improving but never perfecting. Modern practioners know much more and often cross over arts in their search for enlightenment. Who is better off? Who has the most "knowledge"?

The point I am trying to make is, is it better to concentrate on one method of enlightenment, or run the whole gamut of alternative teachings to gain enlightenment? Is too much knowledge in this regard, good or bad?

As for pressing delete, no way. No going back now. Although I want to book a vacation on the next turn of the wheel. One life as a cat please!

Hell yeah there is, some examples... Aristotle, Jack Ruby, Barry Seal, Galileo, etc. Some people have so much knowlge they shoot themselves in the back of the head a couple times.