I think knowledge comes from what we're told our whole lives or have experienced first hand. I know it's cold in Antarctica, though I've never been. I know that it hurts to have your appendix bursts, but it's never happened to me. We know what we are taught, mostly. The other factor is observation. When I burned myself on an iron when I was about two, I learned that irons are hot and heat hurts. I know what pain is because I've experienced it. Outside of experience and what you're told, its impossible to know anything else.
People like to say they know things about the afterlife, things about the world scientists can't explain, etc. To me, that isn't knowledge. I have many beliefs, but I wouldn't dare claim to "know" the meaning of life or anything about the future or most things for that matter. I think it's hard to be sure of anything, really, so people should be careful throwing around the phrase, "I know..."
I agee with what you said about what we know being based off of what we are taught and the experiences we have. I thought it was cool how you mentioned though that there are many people take their beliefs as knowledge and that those two are not the same.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it's hard to be sure of anything and throwing around the phrase "I know" because when it comes to things such as the meaning of life and such, it's hard for everyone to accept a single universal truth.
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