Friday, June 06, 2008

Do you know enough to be dangerous?

35 comments:

(x, why?) said...

More likely, do you know enough NOT to be dangerous.

Wisdom isn't dangerous.
(Knowledge, on the other hand ...)

phraedus said...

Would also work for wisdom vs what you think you know.


This is my favourite by far. Make a shirt.

Lenin said...

If we look for wisdom as the right way to use the knowledge, it's not dangerous.

But I got it... The more we know the guiltier we are. (even the wise can make a mistake)
Very good. :)

sd90mac6000 said...

While I agree with "x, why?", I still think this one is brilliant!

Anonymous said...

Jessica - You're amazing. What a brilliant summary of a complicated process.

Anonymous said...

I would replace wisdom with knowledge, but that's a minor qualm. Nice one.

Anonymous said...

I don't really agree with replacing "wisdom" with "knowledge"; as we lose our innocence to mistakes and failures, we gain the wisdom that comes from going through those mistakes and failures.

Anonymous said...

To follow up, I guess I see the x axis doubling as the flow of time. :o)

(x, why?) said...

I agree that the graph itself is perfect. Nice and simple and to the point

KG said...

Psychologists would argue the opposite. There seems to be a correlation between the capacity for knowledge and child-like curiosity or "innocence." Those who ask the most questions tend to be the synthesize the most knowledge. Innocence is also open-mindednees.

Kristin said...

My parents blame college for my loss of innocence. It threw them for a loop when I suddenly came home and had ideas and beliefs of my own.

Unknown said...

my god, I love your blog. that is all.

Oskar said...

Reminds me of school, reading William Blake's "Songs of Innocence" and "Songs of Experience". Fearful symmetry, indeed.

Anonymous said...

That curve can be defined best by the word "maturity". Like many of your graphs, this one is quite thought provoking. (Particularly that it makes me feel a bit better about the loss of innocence - at least you're gaining something!)

Anonymous said...

liam - I wish!!!

Anonymous said...

i think wisdom is greater than knowledge. So we really can't replace wisdom with knowledge.

Anonymous said...

I know Wisdom isn't dangerous but we should compare it with knowledge.

Anonymous said...

To my mind, wisdom is the ability to properly wield knowledge. Wisdom without knowledge may or may not be possible, but it certainly isn't terribly useful.

Anonymous said...

make money online: I was saying that knowledge makes better sense to me in this one. I wasn't saying they're the same.

Anonymous said...

Saint-Exupery would disagree.

Anonymous said...

I don't agree with this graph, though I have a hard time putting my finger on exactly why. It says that wisdom requires a loss of innocence, yet there are many very wise & innocent people out there - for example, some children. Occasionally their wisdom stems directly from their innocence - I would agree with kedar about the correlation between the two. Several other commenters here seem to have interpreted "wisdom" as being synonymous with "experience" (liam, oskar, perhaps kristin) and I think that correlation is more correct. It is easy to confuse experience with wisdom, because we are all tempted to think that we're improving with age - hence ideas like "older and wiser" - but it's a falsehood.

Anonymous said...

Yes, This does seem logical. I guess there is a price for everything

Death (a.k.a the "Grim Reaper") said...

I do not necessarily agree. There's that old expression about truth coming from the mouths of the young...

http://death-sentences.blogspot.com/

Perry Gerakines said...

Hey- what's with all of your images in This NY Times book review?

Unknown said...

Jessica, stumbling across this blog absolutely made my day.

Thank you! Keep them coming. And, I agree with phraedus - t-shirts please!!

Anonymous said...

OMG! How do u think of these things. I'm impressed. I think I know enough not to be dangerous. U got a fantastic blog. Good luck

(x, why?) said...

Congrats on the NY Times Book Review appearance ...

... even if it wasn't your book being reviewed.

Sanity said...

I know enough to be dangerous, but I'm wise enough not to be.

At least, I'd like to think so ;)

(x, why?) said...

That's why they say that a little learning is a dangerous thing.

You need a lot of learning.

Anonymous said...

Knowledge is knowing that a Tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is knowing not to put Tomatoes in a fruit salad.

But leaving technicalities aside, this graph shows why we always hear of evil geniuses, but never evil morons.

Anonymous said...

This just reminds me of Holden so much. I dont really know why, I guess it's the whole innocence thing.

Anonymous said...

In my opinion this should be an inverted bell curve.

Unknown said...

thanks for all your observations.

Truly is enlightening to read your posts.

Read the entire archive.

Thanks again =)

Anonymous said...

It's the supply curve for me in this one.

Dougist said...

Hummm, so more wisdom, less income, hun? I should be in for a windfall anytime now

(Great graph...and great site)

Doug
www.dougist.com

 
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