One part of knowledge consists in being ignorant of
such things as are not worthy to be known.
- Crates
Sherlock Holmes famously spouted, "It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones." Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created Sherlock to be a brilliant tactician, and he provided a definition for "useless facts:"
"I consider that a man's brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose. A fool takes in all the lumber of every sort that he comes across, so that the knowledge which might be useful to him gets crowded out, or at best is jumbled up with a lot of other things, so that he has a difficulty in laying his hands on it. Now the skillful workman is very careful indeed as to what he takes into his brain-attic. He will have nothing but the tools which may help him in doing his work, but of these he has a large assortment, and all in the most perfect order. It is a mistake to think that little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent. Depend upon it - there comes a time for every addition of knowledge you forget something that you knew before. It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones" (A Study in Scarlet, Ch. 2: The Science of Deduction).
It amazes me how much useless information we, as first world citizens, crowd into our minds. Media infiltrates our senses constantly, bombarding us with soap opera lifestyles as we hop from one scenario to another. We memorize the names, faces, filmographies of celebrities; we learn to use the coolest gadgets and keep up with the latest catch phrases - all of which will change, maybe tomorrow.
When was the last time you took the effort to learn something that is useful to the world? Obviously those training for a career or still in school are learning useful information - but are you applying it?
In some circumstances, we have mislabeled our knowledge banks. I have heard students grumble that they "will never use algebra." That may be true for some; personally, I hated algebra, but because I learned the basics, I can make an accurate budget. I can build something to scale or half a recipe based on those principles.
As a culture, we scorn these basic skills; meanwhile, we are filling our minds with entertainment - who's who on the latest TV shows, what movies are coming out in five years, the latest gossip around Hollywood.
Isn't it time we took a step toward something more lasting? How do we do that?
1. Set your priorities. The key to having useful information in your "brain-attic" is to know what information will be helpful and valuable to you. Sure, Hollywood can be your priority - just remember the information you store affects how you perceive and impact the world around you. Everyone has to accommodate their lifestyle with what they deem useful. I do not find it useful to know how to assemble a clock - sure, it would be neat to learn, but it would not enhance my lifestyle at all. Knowing that clocks are built to move at a certain speed will help me to tell time, but that's about it. Learning about cooking chemistry might improve my lifestyle since I cook just about every day. For someone else, simply knowing that pasta needs to be boiled is sufficient.
2. Invest in self-education. I don't necessarily mean go back to school - though for some considering some serious life changes, that may be a good step. Simply taking time (not even a lot) to invest in learning a skill that you have always wanted to learn. Learn to bake/decorate cakes if you feel that would be a useful skill to have. Take a class on kick boxing or self-defense. Enjoy a class in a foreign language if that is your choice. Add something to the person you are that doesn't come prepackaged for spoon-feeding convenience.
3. DO SOMETHING. Don't rely on the media to hand you accurate information. We all know the news should be taken with a grain of salt, but what I mean is this: don't let people tell you what's going on in the world - go be part of it; find out for yourself! So you've learned a new skill, and you aren't sure what to do with it. If nothing else, teach it to somebody else! Refine your skills; test them in real-world situations. If you took baking, make a couple of cakes and earn some extra money on the side.
4. Don't lose valuable skills. Skills you learned and forgot will not help you as much as the skills you practice on a daily basis. A fundamental knowledge is still there, and no one has time to learn/maintain everything. If you don't need to use Spanish every day, you will eventually lose the ability to speak fluently in Spanish. You still have a fundamental knowledge, however, and it can still help you. Practice the skills you find most valuable. Hold on to the things that are most dear to you, most valuable to your lifestyle.
