Socrates: "I know that I know nothing"

Ladies and gentlemen, step right up to the greatest show on Earth – the circus of the human mind! In this four-ring spectacle, we’ll explore the thrilling, sometimes perplexing, and often hilarious world of human knowledge. Today, we’re taking a whimsical whirl through the rings of cognition that shape our daily lives: Things We Know, Things We Know We Don’t Know, Things We Don’t Know We Know and Things We Don’t Know We Don’t Know!

So, grab your popcorn, find a seat, and fasten your thinking caps as we embark on this jovial journey through the carnival of our understanding. From the comfortable confines of our certainty to the vast expanse of our ignorance, we’ll examine how these rings of knowledge shape our perceptions, drive our actions, and ultimately influence the world around us.

Ring One: Things We Know (Or “I’ve Got This!” Territory)

Ah, the comfort zone of knowledge! This is where we strut our stuff with the confidence of a peacock at a feather convention. It’s the realm of skills we’ve mastered, facts we’ve memorized, and routines we could perform in our sleep (though I wouldn’t recommend actually driving a car while snoozing).

Actually, let’s start with that everyday marvel: driving a car. For most of us,it’s as natural as breathing – well, breathing while simultaneously operating a complex machine hurtling down the road at 100 kilometers per hour. We know how to turn the key (or press the button in these fancy modern vehicles), how to navigate traffic, and how to parallel park (okay, maybe that last one still belongs in Ring Two for some of us).

The impact of this “known” knowledge is immense. Our ability to drive cars has shaped our cities, our economy, and even our social lives. Can you imagine trying to explain the concept of a “road trip” to someone from the 18th century? They’d probably think you were describing some sort of mobile picnic with a very odd name.

But here’s the kicker – what we “know” isn’t always as solid as we think. Remember when people “knew” the Earth was flat? Oh, how our ancestors would chuckle at us now, zipping around in airplanes and launching satellites! For centuries, folks were convinced that if you sailed too far, you’d tumble right off the edge of the world. Talk about performance anxiety for those early explorers (here’s to you Christopher Columbus!).

This just goes to show that sometimes what we “know” is ripe for an update. It’s like when your “Guka” (grandfather) insists he “knows” how to use his new smartphone, but you catch him trying to make a call by shouting at the screen. (No, Guka, Siri isn’t hard of hearing – she’s just ignoring you.)

But fear not! Our “known” category isn’t all mistaken flat-Earth theories and confused grandfathers. We’ve got plenty of rock-solid knowledge too. For instance, we know that water is wet (unless you’re a philosopher, in which case you might argue about the true nature of “wetness” for hours). We know that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west (unless you’re in space, but let’s not complicate things). And we know that no matter how many times we try, we can’t lick our elbows (go ahead, give it a shot – I’ll wait).

The key is to hold our knowledge lightly, always ready to update it in the face of new evidence. After all, today’s firmly held belief might be tomorrow’s flat Earth theory. So, the next time you confidently declare, “I know how to use the new office printer,” just remember – hubris comes before the paper jam.

Ring Two: Things We Know We Don’t Know (Or “I’ll Google That” Territory)

Welcome to the ring of known unknowns, where curiosity is king and “I don’t know” is the battle cry of the brave! This is the realm of skills we aspire to learn, questions we’re itching to answer, and challenges we’re eager to tackle. It’s like standing at the foot of a mountain, knowing you want to climb it, but also knowing you have no idea how to use a carabiner (yes go ahead and Google it)

Let’s take our earlier example of driving a car and kick it up a notch. Many of us know how to drive, but flying a jet? That’s a whole different ballgame. We know we don’t know how to do it (unless you’re a pilot, in which case, please continue reading while executing a perfect barrel roll).

The implications of these known unknowns are far-reaching. They drive us to learn, to seek out new experiences, and occasionally to make fools of ourselves in the process. Like Captain Kirk and the crew of the starship Enterprise, our awareness of what we don’t know pushes us “to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before!” Of course, for most of us, this involves expanding our understanding through more earthbound means – or at least through our YouTube search history.

Consider the quest for a universal language translator. We know we don’t have one yet, but boy, do we want it! This known unknown has spurred massive investments in technology and linguistics research. It’s also led to countless awkward attempts at communicating with locals while on vacation. (No, waving your arms more vigorously does not magically make you fluent in Italian.)

Or consider the mysteries of deep-sea exploration. We know we don’t know what secrets lurk in the ocean’s darkest depths, and this tantalizing unknown has inspired everything from high-tech submersibles to fanciful tales of sea monsters. The possibility of undiscovered species shapes our understanding of life on Earth and drives us to probe the watery frontiers of our own planet. It’s spurred scientists to develop pressure-resistant equipment, led to breakthroughs in marine biology, and occasionally inspired some rather questionable seafood menu choices. (Blob fish sushi, anyone?) This quest to fathom the unfathomable reminds us that sometimes, the most alien worlds are right here at home, hidden beneath the waves.

Known unknowns can also be a source of humility and wonder. We know we don’t know exactly how consciousness arises from the brain, or what happened before the Big Bang, or why cats always land on their feet (some mysteries may never be solved). These puzzles remind us of the vastness of what’s left to discover and can instill a sense of awe at the complexity of existence – or at least provide great material for late-night dorm room philosophical debates.

But beware! Known unknowns can sometimes lead us down the garden path of overconfidence. Just because we’re aware of a gap in our knowledge doesn’t mean we’re close to filling it. Many an aspiring chef has confidently declared, “How hard can it be to make a soufflé?” only to end up with a deflated eggy mess and a newfound appreciation for the culinary arts. It turns out that knowing soufflés are tricky doesn’t automatically grant you the skill to make one “rise” to perfection.

Still, the ring of known unknowns is a delightful place to be. It’s where curiosity thrives, where questions beget more questions, and where the joy of discovery is always just around the corner. So next time you encounter something you know you don’t know, don’t fret – celebrate! You’re standing at the frontier of your own knowledge, and who knows what wonders await on the other side? (Just maybe don’t celebrate by trying to fly a jet without proper training. Some known unknowns are best left to the professionals.)

Ring Three: Things We Don’t Know We Know (Or “Oops, I Knew That?” Territory)

Welcome to the third ring, where we navigate the curious terrain of unknown knowns – those subtle, almost forgotten bits of knowledge that pop up just when we need them. These are the mental treasures buried deep within us, only to resurface at the most unexpected moments, like the surprise of finding a crumpled 1,000 shilling note in the jacket of that suit you wore to a wedding 3 years ago.

This ring is home to those intuitive actions and cultural nuances that we might not actively think about but somehow instinctively know. Take, for example, the way you automatically recoil when someone offers you a handshake that feels like a limp, wet fish. Without needing to analyze why, you just know something’s off, and your mind races back to those unspoken rules of etiquette you absorbed somewhere along the way. It’s like your brain has a hidden playlist of cultural dos and don’ts that you can’t always recall consciously – until, suddenly, you do.

Think of that moment in a conversation when you’re struggling to remember the name of an actor – and then, out of nowhere, it hits you: Tom Hanks! The knowledge was always there, tucked away in your mental archives, just waiting for the right cue. It’s like the universe’s way of reminding you that your brain has your back, even when you’re not paying attention. The impact? Well, you’ve saved yourself from a sleepless night spent pondering whether it was Tom Hanks or Tom Cruise who starred in Forrest Gump.

These unknown knowns also sneak into our daily routines in amusing ways. Have you ever been standing in a room, utterly baffled about why you walked in there in the first place? Hours later, it finally clicks – you were going to water the plants! Or maybe you’ve had the realization that you’ve been singing the wrong lyrics to a favorite song for years, much to the delight (or despair) of those around you.

And let’s not forget the quirky moments when your brain surprises you with cultural knowledge you didn’t even realize you possessed. Perhaps you instinctively know how to navigate a foreign social situation, like understanding the subtlety of declining an invitation without causing offense. Or maybe you hum along to a tune and suddenly recognize it as the jingle from a cereal commercial you haven’t seen since childhood. These are the little gifts from the mind, showing us that even the most dormant knowledge has a way of reemerging when it’s needed.

Then there are those random facts that pop back into your mind, like recalling that the capital of Mongolia is Ulaanbaatar – not because it’s useful every day, but because your brain decided it was time for a friendly reminder. It’s these surprising bursts of clarity that remind us how layered and resourceful our minds truly are.

So, while the confounding conundrum of unknown knowns might seem like a mystery wrapped in an enigma, it’s really just another fascinating aspect of our wonderfully complex minds. The next time you correctly answer a trivia question about a topic you thought you’d forgotten, or gracefully navigate a social situation without a second thought, give yourself some credit. You knew it all along – you just didn’t know you knew it!

Ring Four: Things We Don’t Know We Don’t Know (Or “Wait, What?” Territory)

Brace yourselves, folks, for we’re about to enter the wildest ring of all – the unknown unknowns! This is the realm of surprises, of paradigm shifts, and of “I never saw that coming!” moments. It’s the home of future discoveries so profound that we can’t even conceive of them yet. It’s like trying to explain TikTok to a Victorian-era gentleman – not only would he not understand it, he wouldn’t even have the framework to begin comprehending what you’re talking about.

The tricky thing about unknown unknowns is that, well, we don’t know what they are. It’s like trying to prepare for a surprise party thrown by someone you’ve never met, in a place you’ve never heard of, celebrating an occasion you didn’t know existed. Good luck picking out an outfit for that one!

But we can look back at history to see examples of how unknown unknownshave blindsided us in the past. Imagine being a physicist in the late 19th century. You might have thought you had a pretty good grasp on how the universe works. Newtonian mechanics explained the motion of planets and apples alike. Maxwell’s equations unified electricity and magnetism. Things were looking pretty tidy.

Then along came Einstein with his theory of relativity, and suddenly space and time weren’t what anyone thought they were. The universe got a whole lot weirder, and a vast new frontier of physics opened up. This was an unknown unknown becoming known, and it revolutionized our understanding of reality. It was like someone suddenly telling you that not only is your cat secretly a chess grandmaster, but also that chess is actually a form of interpretive dance.

Or consider the advent of smartphones. Before they became ubiquitous, the notion of having a powerful computer, a camera, a GPS, and a music library all in one compact device was beyond most people’s imagination. The idea of instantly sending photos, getting directions, and managing daily tasks from a single gadget seemed like science fiction. Now, it’s hard to picture life without these devices. Although some of us might be better off without the constant barrage of notifications and the irresistible urge to check our screens every few minutes (just one more WhatsApp message, and then I’ll put the phone down, I swear!)

The impact of unknown unknowns can be enormous, precisely because we’re not prepared for them. They can upend industries, reshape societies, and alter our very conception of what’s possible. It’s like showing up to what you thought was a casual picnic, only to find out it’s actually your surprise wedding. Talk about a paradigm shift!

Unknown unknowns aren’t always scientific or technological, either. Social and cultural shifts can catch us off guard too. Who in the 1950s could have predicted the sexual revolution of the 1960s? Or imagine trying to explain the concept of “influencers” to someone from the 1980s – they’d probably think you were describing some kind of fancy air conditioner.

This is where the flat Earth theory comes full circle (pun very much intended). For the flat Earth believers, the spherical nature of our planet was an unknown unknown. They weren’t just mistaken about the shape of the Earth – they couldn’t even conceive of a world that wasn’t flat. It was beyond their paradigm, outside their frame of reference. It’s like trying to explain to a fish what it means to be dry – the concept is so far outside their experience that it’s essentially incomprehensible.

So how do we deal with the vast, unknowable realm of unknown unknowns? Well, we can start by cultivating curiosity and openness. By being willing to question our assumptions and embrace new ideas, we make ourselves more receptive to those paradigm-shifting discoveries when they do come along. It’s like mental yoga – the more flexible you are, the less likely you are to pull something when life throws you a curveball.

We can also practice intellectual humility. Recognizing that there are things we don’t even know we don’t know can help us approach the world with wonder rather than certainty. It can make us more tolerant of different viewpoints and more willing to consider unconventional ideas. After all, today’s crackpot theory might be tomorrow’s scientific breakthrough. (Although if someone tries to sell you a perpetual motion machine, it’s probably safe to remain skeptical.)

The Grand Finale: Balancing the Rings of Knowledge

As we’ve seen, our lives are shaped by the interplay of these four rings of knowledge: what we know, what we know we don’t know, what we don’t know we know, and what we don’t know we don’t know. It’s a constant balancing act, like trying to juggle while riding a unicycle on a tightrope. Over a pool of piranhas. In a windstorm. With a blindfold.

The things we know give us a foundation to build upon, allowing us to make decisions and progress in our daily lives. They’re like the comfy slippers of the mind – familiar, reliable, and occasionally in need of replacing when we realize they’re full of holes.

The things we know we don’t know drive us forward, spurring curiosity and fueling the quest for discovery. They’re the tantalizing carrots dangling just out of reach, motivating us to stretch a little further, learn a little more, and occasionally pull a mental muscle in the process.

And let’s not forget the things we don’t know we know – those sneaky bits of knowledge that hide in the corners of our minds, only to pop out when we least expect them most. These moments remind us that our brains are full of treasures we didn’t even realize we had – they’re the surprise gifts of our mental circus, keeping us entertained and on our toes.

Finally, the things we don’t know we don’t know keep us humble and excited about the future. They’re the surprise parties of the universe, waiting to jump out and yell “Surprise!” just when we think we’ve got it all figured out. They’re the unknown horizons that make life an adventure, constantly expanding our understanding and pushing us to explore beyond the limits of our current knowledge.

So, let’s embrace all four rings of this grand circus of knowledge. Let’s stand firmly on what we know (like how to drive a car), reach eagerly for what we know we don’t know (like how to fly a jet), celebrate the unknown knowns when they reveal themselves (like that sudden flash of insight when solving a puzzle), and remain open to the unknown unknowns that await us (like… well, we don’t know what they are yet, but they’re bound to be interesting!).

After all, as the great philosopher Socrates famously said, “I know that I know nothing.” This acknowledgment of our own limitations is actually the most exciting aspect of our quest for knowledge. It means that the adventure is far from over, and we’re all in the front row for the greatest show in the universe—the endless exploration of the unknown, the rediscovery of the forgotten, and the ever-expanding frontier of human understanding.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to try licking my elbow one more time. You never know – it might be an unknown unknown that humans can actually do it, and I’d hate to miss out on that discovery. It could revolutionize the ice cream industry!