A Little Learning is a
Dangerous Thing
These words by Alexander Pope are
full of meaning. As a general rule, learning must not be a dangerous thing. As
Horace Mann says, " A human being is not in any proper sense a human being
till he is educated." But a little learning becomes a dangerous thing when
it is applied to real life as a substitute for perfect learning.
Take the medical line. If a
doctor has not got a proper degree through hard and dedicated work, he can
prove a nuisance to society. He can kill more people than he can save. The
bridges, buildings and dams built by an engineer with imperfect knowledge of
his subject will collapse sooner rather than later. A teacher who is not a
master of his subject will only misguide his students.
The modern age is an age of specialization.
In every field, we need specialists who can guide us better. But, unfortunately,
there are also many quacks. Many unskilled people are cunning enough to
masquerade as specialists. The credulous people are duped by them. We must try
to distinguish between the real and fictitious specialists and try to beware of
the latter species.
A man with real and deep
knowledge is generally sober and humble. He is not interested in giving himself
airs and indulging in cheap publicity. He believes in constructive work. It is
not his motto to make an easy buck. But a man of shallow knowledge shows
himself off. He is always after one or the other victim. He may wear artificial
smiles and gaudy or holy clothes. But sooner or later he gets exposed. He can
cause great harm to society.
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