Knowing vs. Living

The True Measure of Admirable Lives

I sometimes play a game where I consider whether there is anything left of a person if I take away their main occupation or profession.

I realized that the reason for the difference between ‘people whose work I follow with admiration’ and ‘people I admire’ is embodied in this game. When a philosopher, economist, or any other professional stands out with their success in a specific area, my relationship with that person becomes pragmatic; I focus on their contribution to me or the world.

However, when it comes to admiration, these individuals stand out not because of their expertise in a particular field, but because of the way they live their lives.

Living requires a different and more intricate skill than knowing.

There are people who possess a wealth of knowledge and yet lead miserable lives. In fact, the term ‘yet’ is essentially unnecessary here; knowing is not a guarantee of living well.

Therefore, if our goal is not to be an external hard drive, which mine is not, I see no problem with prioritizing living well at the expense of knowing a little less.