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Knowledge – Its Importance

On Sunday, January 27, 2002, there was pandemonium in the Mile-2 area of ​​Lagos State. Everyone was running in a rush except for a chemistry teacher who was strolling calmly down the street. The chaos was due to bomb explosions that occurred in a neighboring town (Ikeja Military Cantonment, Lagos). You may be wondering why the teacher didn’t run with others. Could it be that she was fed up with life? Do not! She did not run because she had a good understanding of the constituents of the atmosphere of which noncombustible nitrogen has the highest percentage composition (about 79%). This made her understand that no matter what happened, the explosion could not spread to where she was and that was the secret of her calm.

First of all, what is knowledge? Knowledge is simply the information, understanding, and skills gained through education or experience. It can also be defined as the state of knowledge about a particular fact or situation. A person who is well informed about something is well informed about that thing. Francis Bacon said “Knowledge is power” and you and I know how important power is. If that is the case, we can emphatically consider that Knowledge, which is Power, is very important. Now, the question is: What is the importance of knowledge?

Knowledge gives you an advantage over others who lack it. In the above story, one can clearly see how the chemistry teacher had an advantage over others who ignorantly ran haphazardly, some even in the direction of the explosion. He had this air of confidence about him, a peculiar characteristic of well-informed people. Giving correct judgment or showing great discernment is another importance of knowledge. One needs knowledge to be able to discern good from evil. It was this same knowledge that helped the wisest man, King Solomon, discern who was the true mother of the baby in the popular Bible story.

Another importance of knowledge is in the area of ​​scientific and technological advancement, which has made life much easier than it was in the past. Today, moving from one place to another can be done in the blink of an eye with the help of planes, helicopters, cars, etc. In addition, interconnectivity has been simplified. Now one can easily connect with people all over the world through the Internet, telephones, etc. In the area of ​​agriculture, mechanized farming has certainly helped increase agricultural production.

If you want to earn the respect of others, acquire knowledge. I say this because knowledge earns respect. Think of any great man or woman whom you respect so much and you will see that the person really reached that height because of his knowledge in certain aspects of life. To reinforce my point, let me mention a few names: Michael Faraday (father of electricity), Ben Carson (a great neurosurgeon), Dr. Alexander Fleming (discoverer of penicillin), and even Barack Hussein Obama (a great lawyer and first black President of the USA).

The point I am about to make now may sound funny to you, but it is true. Knowledge makes people look forever young. Take it easy! I would explain, but before that I would like to give you some examples of people who fall into this category based on my own judgement. The 1986 Nobel Prize winner – Prof. Wole Soyinka, former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria – Prof. Charles Soludo and the popular Nigerian actor who appeared years ago in the television drama “Everything Falls Apart” – Pete Edochie are some of the practical examples that I want to highlight. Year after year, these people look the same or sometimes even younger. This is because knowledgeable people are problem solvers; it is easier for them to find solutions to virtually all problems, so they have little or nothing to worry about, since worrying too much causes rapid aging. Also, the knowledge they have gained helps them know what to eat and what not to eat unlike an illiterate person who eats anything as long as it is edible, without considering its effects on health.

The importance of knowledge cannot be overstated because it is an integral part of life. In fact, I would apologetically say to the ignorant that ‘Knowledge is Life’ because the two are inseparable. The more you live, the more you learn. As TL Osborn says, “When you stop learning, you start dying.”

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