1) Concerning
human
limitations and frailty; all possible knowledge will not fit
in one small head, plus, age overtakes, and memory fails,
thus, knowledge acquisition is an exercise that must be
practiced from an early age, so that the mind is always
ready, and, the brain is always optimally operational,
regardless of age. Being
born into a house full of useful books is an advantage.
Healthy living definitely helps, and, that begins in the
womb, given sensible parents, plus, fortuitously appropriate
genes for both intelligence and longevity as well.
2) It
is
always necessary to deal with bad news as well as good,
thus, the continual quest for comparative education and
knowledge can, or should, only be optimally practiced by
those best able to deal with this reality.
Note that compartmentalised minds are seldom troubled
by these considerations.
4) Ideally,
knowledge should always be sought, gained, and utilized,
without fear or favour. Naturally, caution and commonsense
should be practiced in this regard, so, in given
problematical circumstances, be sure to always survive to
learn, inform, and/or teach, another day.
Accordingly, time and place are always important
considerations. Note that stress diminution and/or stress
avoidance are also part of healthy living and learning.
6) There is a difference between
truth and fact, and, objective knowledge is ultimately the
most valuable. All knowledge is
relative as regards rating of usefulness and validity, and,
self-knowledge should be included in this description. Thus,
self-introspection also should be regularly practiced, as
well as maintaining the ongoing mental agility required for
rigorous intellectual self-adjustment.
7) Not
everyone
is truly curious, not everyone can cope with changing
reality, not everyone wants to share knowledge, so, beware
wasting of time on unreasoned arguments, willful
obfuscation, or, just countering pattern anxieties. Thus, careful choices of
questions, as well as of intellectual company, including
that of intellectual adversaries, are all strongly advised. Most people react more positively
to questions if you appear less intellectually able than
they are, and, will usually speak more slowly and clearly as
a result.
8) If
you really want to know the extent of your own knowledge and
understanding of any topic, then, try teaching someone else. Teaching thus maintains personal
understanding, and knowledge base, in an optimal condition. Problem-solving is a useful and
necessary form of self-teaching, which combines both
knowledge acquisition and application concurrently, and,
should always be actively practiced. Note
that advocating this type of mental exercise is never
universally popular.
9) The
brain
is a biochemical entity, not a computer, so, to keep the
mind fresh and flexible in the quest for knowledge, select
and change learning topics as required. Intelligence
is
also wasted if not used optimally, plus, any brain used
optimally is potentially more useful in the search for, and
application of, useful knowledge than a better brain used
lazily and/or badly. Thus, always seek out intellectually
honest peers, or better, whenever practicable.
Time
and
place, once again, are also important considerations.
10) Human
affairs are ephemeral at best, and, the only knowledge that
will still be relevant, and constant, beyond inevitable mass
human demise, is that portion of human inquiry relating to the
knowledge of the workings of the physical and natural worlds,
and, of the Universe itself, which will still endlessly cycle
on when all humans are gone. Note
also that this is never a universally popular consideration.
NB, the
term 'mind' herein is not used in any metaphysical sense,
rather, that the brain, beyond autonomic mediation, is the
active means to think, whereas the mind is then the actual
collective process of doing so.
For any sentient being, there are Seven Major Universal Laws that Run, Rule, and Bind our Universe, (and, most probably, any possible other); there are also three other
Special Laws that all relate specifically to Computers, Information Technology, and also their human builders and users. These Laws are all stated and described as follows:
The Law of Determinism, that no event is entirely random, inferred by,
The Law of Murphy, that whatever can go wrong, probably will go wrong, and,
The Law of Averages, that an action or event repeated, especially if risky, will eventually have an adverse result, and,
The Law of Chaos, that any system developing an unchecked instability will progress to chaos before re-establishing emergent equilibrium, albeit minus entropic penalties, and,
The Law of Absolutes, that there are no absolutes, including Laws, see Murphy’s Law; also,
The Law of Overall Probability, that the often interacting effects of the previous Five Laws may be manifest at any given time, and finally,
The Law of Relational Consequentiality, that due to the potential combinative effects of the Properties of the other Six Laws, and other assorted Forces, even minor events may
give rise to consequences out of all proportion to their initial apparent significance, probably exponentially, and even unto the Quantum Level. An Obverse Non-event may also
apply...
The seven Universal Laws and their interdependence do not need elaboration, as they are, by their common manifestations, all well known in all fields of human endeavour.
(Extract from 'Computer Beginnner's Management Factfile' , via main pages, which also includes Laws relating to computers.)