Thought Picnic: An ambivalence on acquiring knowledge

On the things I am sure of

Twice I have been asked when I broached certain plans for the future whether I have considered the viability of the opportunity and if the decision is one that has been made with a full set of the facts.

In both cases, I averred that I was convinced of my determination to act and I have the good faith assurances of the other party in the enterprise we have agreed represents our common future.

Obviously, these matters are not ones for which you have prognostication that presents a well laid out route, but there is the hope that some prescience and good judgement has informed the circumstances necessary to agree to the terms.

On the things I am unaware of

Then I remember that there are questions that I have never really had answers to, probing questions those friends asked to measure and gauge the sanity of a prospect. For all my curiosity I do realise that I exercise much reticence as not to be that intrusive. There are things I do not know at all that became known either in conversation or writings, it makes me wonder if more due diligence is required.

There is no reason in my mind to have doubts or reservations, but it could be exercising the abundance of caution to be less reserved so that any inquiry is addressed to the satisfaction of the inquirer. For a commitment of this sort, the fair-minded would expect that more intimate knowledge engenders compatibility and common interests.

On the things I think I have deduced

There are times I have attended interviews and when directly prompted about whether I have questions declined the offer. Some might think this the lack of preparedness, whilst in the art of conversation, you can elicit and deduce facts, getting questions answered through direction or distraction, the other party unwittingly divulging what they might not willingly accede. Now, even when moot, I produce a question, usually something left of field.

I will confess, there are still many things I do not know, probably none is that important, I cannot tell. I doubt it is one for which the question, ‘What do you want to know?’ will suffice, because there is no idea of where to start.

On the things I might learn of

Some things are too deep-seated to be eased out in a confrontation, they will only be teased out in affinity, sympathy, or empathy, where a personal recognition of experiences trips a light switch to make a hidden thing visible.

For this, several intercourses are expedient, the meeting of hearts is a foregone conclusion, the meeting of minds is a process of continuous learning and the rubbing of minds for the building of lasting relationships. I know what I do, some unknowns need to be known and on the things that might be categorised under whether I need to know or not, that would be on advisement. My thoughts are for now in the embryonic stage.