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[–] 98 points 2 years ago

Ah yes the paradox of knowledge. The more you learn, the more you learn how much more there is to learn

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  • [–] 71 points 2 years ago (11 children)

    Intellectual curiosity is the true barometer; you either thirst to know more, or you're content with ignorance.

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  • [–] 37 points 2 years ago (3 children)

    Eventually you realize you forget almost as much as you learn, it's like a bilge pump in a sinking boat. Then you focus on what you want to remember and come to acceptance with that.

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  • [–] 14 points 2 years ago (3 children)

    There is a third way!

    You thirst to know more but have a soul crushing deficit of self esteem and truly believe you're incapable of anything more than menial labor. You remain with your thirst, not content with your ignorance, but unable to overcome the self image of "absolute moron with no place in the scientific community who must be narcissistic for even thinking he could be" and so you grow to hate yourself even more because of it!

    ...Err.... Or so my friend says.

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  • [–] 12 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    You don't have to go to higher education to pursue knowledge! We have more knowledge available to us freely than any other time on Earth!

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    And for that matter, you don’t even have to pursue knowledge that will help you make money!

    Taking a deep dive in some hobbies using free knowledge could very well enhance your life better than getting the masters degree and the promotion.

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  • [–] 53 points 2 years ago (5 children)

    Everyone is just making it up as we go along.

    Be skeptical of anyone who claims they have the answer.

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  • [–] 11 points 2 years ago (3 children)

    42!

    But who has the question?!

    :P

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  • [–] 5 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    I know you're being cheeky, but we did get an answer to what the Ultimate Question was...

    spoilerThe Ultimate Question "What do you get when you multiply six by nine" is found by Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect in The Restaurant at the End of the Universe.

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    [–] 36 points 2 years ago* (5 children)

    I was arguing with a engineer two weeks ago about systems. I never met him before. But he had a few drinks and interrupted our conversation. And I nearly lost my shit because of how confident this guy was speaking, saying obvious things and being vague, while not saying anything at all. Like, "This system isn't good at all! We should all follow Clean Code principles!"

    Then someone pulled me aside and said, "Go easy on the guy. He's only been in the industry for a year."

    And I did feel bad. But also like, my dude... You are going to wake up to realizing you know nothing about everything.

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    [–] 26 points 2 years ago

    Coming out of my undergrad I definitely did not feel that. I think it should be relabeled to high-school and undergrad is I feel SO dumb

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  • wisdom is understanding what we dont know

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  • [–] 16 points 2 years ago

    The more you know, the more you know what you don't know. People who know nothing often think they know everything.

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  • [–] 16 points 2 years ago

    I've forgotten more than I know.

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  • [–] 14 points 2 years ago (5 children)

    "All I know is that I know nothing."

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  • [–] 11 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    I think it's a general thing with highly capable persons in expert and highly intellectual domains that eventually you kinda figure out what Socrates actually meant with "All I know is that I know nothing"

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  • [–] 10 points 2 years ago

    I have come to realize a PhD just means you have spent a lot of time thinking about what you are doing.

    Doesn't mean what you are doing is smart really. Just well thought about.

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  • [+] 9 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)
    [–] 8 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    I already knew that I and everyone is dumb before my undergrad. Am I smart?

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    [–] 8 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    I disagree. Most people seem dumb, but there are select few which are incredibly genius.

    Like, I heard of a model theorist who produces quality papers every month or so. Then there is also Andrew Wiles, who proved Fermat's last theorem through labyrinth of Langlands. The complexity and depth of the field is just insane.

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    [–] 8 points 2 years ago

    Me at 34 with no post secondary education: I wish i could afford to goto school

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  • [–] 6 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Masters level living in that PhD level mindset. We a bunch of dumb animals

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    [–] 4 points 2 years ago

    IMO, all three of these statements are correct.

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  • [–] 4 points 2 years ago

    the more you know, the more you know how little anyone knows anything

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 child)

    I've been this way my whole life. I learn something new and realize I don't know shit.

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    [–] 3 points 2 years ago

    I think the difference is that some people spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to make the same realization.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago

    Graduated and am working as a junior engineer and I basically feel like I have a mountain of stuff I need to learn, I can see I've grown since I started a year ago but man is there still so much for me to learn

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago

    Hey, the only reason you choose to think that way is... bc it is objectively true.:-|

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    This also tracks for programming.

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  • [–] 5 points 2 years ago

    Tbh in programming that is a healthy attitude to have. If you assume everyone who handles your code in the future, including yourself, is a dumbass, it makes you write more reliable and transparent code.

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