Chapter 1: The Imaginary Circles of Knowledge

Take a moment to observe your surroundings. Are you in your bedroom, living room, or perhaps even in the bathroom, scrolling aimlessly? If so, consider this your cue to rise and move to a more spacious area.

Now, envision a circle measuring 10 feet (or 3 meters) in diameter. In a typical small bedroom, this circle would likely take up a significant portion of the space. It’s roughly twice your arm span, allowing for a bit of movement.

Inside this larger circle, picture a smaller circle that is merely 2 feet (or 0.6 meters) in diameter. This circle is quite compact; you could easily stand with your feet together within it without losing your balance.

Next, imagine extracting a single period “.” from the last book you read (feel free to share which book in the comments). With a pair of scissors, cut that tiny dot in half, and then halve it once more. You can place this minuscule fragment, a quarter of the original period, within the confines of the 2-foot circle.

The expansive 10-foot circle represents the entirety of knowledge about nature and existence throughout all time, encompassing every life form that has ever existed—some long extinct, others just emerging. It symbolizes the vast pool of both known and unknown knowledge available to humanity.

The smaller 2-foot circle signifies the cumulative knowledge mankind has amassed over time. Imagine that around the time of Christ, this circle was only a mere 3 to 6 inches in diameter. Today, it has expanded to a full 2 feet.

Now, let’s return to that quarter period. That’s you. It embodies the wisdom and knowledge you’ve gathered throughout your life, including experiences yet to come.

While some may have reached a full “.” in their understanding, most of us will not. Do you perceive yourself as intelligent or wise? Perhaps you do. However, true wisdom emerges from recognizing how infinitesimal your knowledge is when compared to the grand scale of existence. Even if you were an advanced AI, trained for years (like ChatGPT), you would still only represent a fraction of the total knowledge within that 2-foot circle.

You are not exceptionally smart or wise. You are not unique or gifted in a way that sets you apart from others. And that’s perfectly acceptable.

Proclaiming your perceived superiority from a metaphorical mountaintop only serves to diminish your stature in the eyes of others.

Embrace your limitations in wisdom and intelligence, but nurture a desire for learning. Strive for knowledge, read extensively, and immerse yourself in new ideas.

In conclusion, recognize that your intelligence is but a tiny speck in the vast universe of knowledge. You may mistakenly believe you possess wisdom, or even mastery in a specific area, but in the grand scheme of things, you are a mere blip. And that’s alright. Continue to seek knowledge, remain humble, and never stop learning.

Follow for daily philosophical meditations.

These insights are drawn from my forthcoming book, “YouDaimonia: The Philosophy of Human Flourishing.”