"The learning and knowledge that we have, is, at the most, but little compared with that of which we are ignorant"

It’s pretty humbling to think about: no matter how much we know, there’s always so much more out there that we don’t. The core idea is that our knowledge is just a tiny drop in the vast ocean of what we don’t know. It’s a reminder to stay curious and humble, recognizing that there’s always more to learn.

This idea isn’t new. It dates back to the early 17th century when philosopher John Locke emphasized the limits of human understanding. Back then, the world was on the cusp of the Enlightenment, a time when science and reason began to flourish. People were discovering new things about the world daily, which made it clear that ignorance was a vast expanse compared to the small islands of knowledge they had.

Imagine you’re a doctor. You’ve spent years studying medicine, you’re skilled, and you’ve helped countless patients. One day, a patient comes in with a rare disease you’ve never encountered. Despite all your training and experience, you need to research, consult colleagues, and perhaps even reach out to specialists. This scenario shows how, even in fields where we’re highly knowledgeable, there’s always more to learn.

Now, you might be thinking, “Okay, that sounds all well and good, but how do I apply this?” Start with curiosity. If you don’t understand something, ask questions. Read books, watch documentaries, or listen to podcasts on topics you know little about. It’s also vital to embrace humility. Understand that it’s okay not to know everything. Admitting your ignorance can actually make you more open to learning.

Let’s take a trip back to when I was in college. Picture a class where everyone, including me, thought we had a pretty solid grasp of world history. Our professor, an older gentleman with a twinkle in his eye, liked to start each semester with the same exercise. He’d pass out a map of the world with no labels. The task? Fill in as many country names as we could. Sounds easy, right? Wrong. Most of us couldn’t name half the countries correctly. It was a humbling experience. He did this to show us just how much we didn’t know, even about something as basic as geography.

This isn’t to make you feel bad about what you don’t know. Quite the opposite. It’s to encourage a mindset of lifelong learning. Think about the last time you were in a conversation and someone mentioned a topic you knew nothing about. Instead of feeling embarrassed, use that as a springboard. Dive into that topic later. Ask that person more about it. The more you embrace what you don’t know, the more opportunities you give yourself to grow.

So, next time you’re feeling pretty confident about what you know, take a step back. Remember that in the grand scheme of things, our knowledge is just a little blip. And that’s okay. It’s what keeps life interesting, right? The endless possibilities of what we can learn and discover. So stay curious, stay humble, and keep exploring that vast ocean of the unknown.