St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-04-06
KNOW EVERYTHING.
The Folly Of Trying to Grasp in These
Days.
MIND OvERTAXED.
THE
The Study Of Lifetime Hardly En-
ables a Man to Learn One
Science.

AS the world grows in age, and more
especially since late inventions have en-
abied men to perpetuate the chronicle
of their accomplishments, says the Phil
adelphia Record, the bulk of things that
may be known by a single person has
far OutgrOwn any individual capacity.
A very learned man has in store very
little part of the sum of human knowl-
edge. Possibly the most learned man
is that one who so far comprehends all
he knows as to be able to make the
most complete use of it. Thousands of
persons are possessed of mass of facts
which are of small value to them be-
cause they have not been able to as
simulate what they know. They are
like children who glibly explain the
relations of the words in sentence, ac-
cording to the rules laid down in the
grammar, without having a glimmer of
reasonable understanding OF the eXpla-
nation. This is parrot knowledge, and
the world is full of it. There are judges
on the bench who know the law without
knowing its underlying principles.
Probably there is no greater folly in this
day and generation than that of trying
to know everything. 1t is like under
taking to count the sands. The mass Of
things that no person can know is so
great that it is wise to turn the pursuit
of knowledge in certain narrow paths
and try to matter the intricacleS OF single
subjects in their relation to other sub
jects. The study of lifetime, for eX-
ample. hardly affords the opportunity to
grasp the science of medicine or law. A
hi hi InlN
tory and find his work but begun when
found observation of the wit who said
THAT when man finds out that he
doesn't know anything he begins to
know something
The impossibility of knowing very
much should make everybody modest
and unpretending. But it does not. 1t
often happens that the lack of under
standing is made good by an overpluS of
conceit. People afflicted in this
way are unbearable. They are
worse than the pretenders who
assume to know what they
do not know, either out of a mistaken
desire to appear to greater advantage
by owl-like gravity OF with the inten-
ton to pass current for more than their
intellectual value.
The best plan is to freely admit both
our large and our little ignoranceS, and,
in whatever society or situation we may
find ourselves, frankly confess our
limitations. In this way we can spare
ourselves tine modification OF being
found out in intellectual impOSture, and
at the same time contribute to good
fellowship by affording to others the
pleasure of acknowledged superiority or
I, OF n
things within the range of our own OBJ
Servation.
1t is one of the charms of charming
women to discover and talk about mat
tiers with which their friends, guests or
casual company are familiar. This
puts everybody at ease. On the con-
trary, it is the habit of b0res to bore
people with matters of merely per-
Sonal and exclusive interest which are
not in the nature of desirable informa-
ton nor calculated to promote cheer
fulnesS or happiness. 1t may be doubted
whether the WiSeSt man or woman III
the world confronted with the most
ignorant man or woman in the world
would not be able to learn something
from ignorance that wisdom had not
cOmpaSsed.
Since, then, we cannot know every
thing, and the WlSeSt can KNOW very
little, why should any one hesitate to
make an acknowledgements of whatever
ignorance besets him. 1t is best for
our own pleasure and enjoyment to read
the best books and find out the most de-
sirable companions. The more we
know the more we can enjoy. But the
pretense of knowledge one does not
have stands in the way of ac-
quirement. When reference is
made in conversation by third
person to some TACT in history, some fe-
licitous thought of an orator, or some
graceful line in poetry, with an impli-
cation OF glance of mutual understand
ing as to the authorship, it is a fraud to
receive the goods without inquiring to
whom they belong. Honesty is such a
charming quality that it lends its lowell
ness to whatever it touches. Our little
ignorances may be turned to good ac-
count and be forgiven us if we shall
have sense enough to own up to them.