# Do you feel like you know too much?



## Miharu (Apr 1, 2015)

If I compared myself to some of the people I know (most of them are dumb as fuck), I might have this feeling that I'm superior to them. (Which may even be a fact.)

But ah, I would never be content with what I know.. I can never know _too much_.


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## hksfdgknsjbdklrafbku (Jan 2, 2015)

johnnyyukon said:


> @pearslug ok I could understand having too much feelings. Maybe like that kid with the video camera in _American Beauty_ that cries at floating bags
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Well it's not so much the act of thinking deeply and knowing in itself it's the way you percieve the world as a result. So for example when you were a child drawing with crayon was so amazing, but as an adult its not impressive at all, because you realise how it all works, friction melts the material of the crayon onto the paper. Simple. So the more you know the less something is impressive.

If you take that to an extreme and you know how the world works, just like the crayon it becomes less impressive and fun. Sometimes it feels like there's no point in anything, because the present is a fleeting moment and then its over and you miss it, and then you look forward to another event in the future or you reminisce. So like, I could go on that rollercoaster, but I know all too well that in 5 minutes it will be over so what's the point? 

That's where knowing can be a problem, but yes you're right that is solved by having a more positive outlook on life. However I sometimes think, what if I have a very successful and enjoyable life, is there a reason for it? Just for me to look back on from my deathbed?

Seems like a trivial way to look at stuff but it can be hard to ignore once you truly realise it. And you realise this from knowing too much and thinking too deeply.

But I tend to notice that I only feel like this if I'm feeling down or lonely, if I'm not either of those I really don't relate to it at all.

Hope you understand that lol


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## 1000BugsNightSky (May 8, 2014)

No, I feel like I don't know enough.
There is so much you can know, infinitely growing. But the amount you do know can't even compare. You can't even know if the stuff you do know is correct or not. You can always learn more.


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## Grandmaster Yoda (Jan 18, 2014)

There's nothing to really know other than a priori knowledge, everything else is uncertain.


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## johnnyyukon (Nov 8, 2013)

pearslug said:


> Well it's not so much the act of thinking deeply and knowing in itself it's the way you percieve the world as a result. So for example when you were a child drawing with crayon was so amazing, but as an adult its not impressive at all, because you realise how it all works, friction melts the material of the crayon onto the paper. Simple. So the more you know the less something is impressive.
> 
> If you take that to an extreme and you know how the world works, just like the crayon it becomes less impressive and fun. Sometimes it feels like there's no point in anything, because the present is a fleeting moment and then its over and you miss it, and then you look forward to another event in the future or you reminisce. So like, I could go on that rollercoaster, but I know all too well that in 5 minutes it will be over so what's the point?
> 
> ...


Ok, I hear ya. Sounds like you're going through an existential crisis, "What does it all mean??" Or something like that.

I had a couple of buddies that went through that phase (and it is a phase, sweetie pie  and they weren't suicidal per se (not saying you are, ha) but they said they kind of became really apathetic and lost all their motivation. 

I've been there before, at least the dark moods, but not because I knew too much, because I was being a useless blob. I remembered what the good times were, like your crayon example, but feared I'd never have them again. That I'd just exist, rather than LIVE. 

And if I'm on my deathbed and I look back and see that I made my best effort to enjoy life, help others, laugh a lot, do crazy things from time to time, put a little bit of good in the world, no matter how small, then I think I'll be ok with that.

Life is what you make it, and that can be a hard pill to swallow. YOU are responsible for finding meaning. 

And thinking positively is a lot easier said than done. And it usually doesn't start with thoughts, but action. 

Science can explain so much, but there's even more that it can't. Crayons work using friction, as you said, but so what? Look at the amazing colors. As others have said, the more you know, the more you realize how little you know. And that's when the magic starts to come back.

Watch a tree blowing in the wind, air on your skin. Take it in, in the moment. No need to say, "hey that thing has roots and leaves and photosynthesis!" and so forth. Even with that knowledge, it's still beautiful.


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## hksfdgknsjbdklrafbku (Jan 2, 2015)

johnnyyukon said:


> Ok, I hear ya. Sounds like you're going through an existential crisis, "What does it all mean??" Or something like that.
> 
> I had a couple of buddies that went through that phase (and it is a phase, sweetie pie  and they weren't suicidal per se (not saying you are, ha) but they said they kind of became really apathetic and lost all their motivation.
> 
> ...


Thanks budd, all true, it has taken me like a year to realise that this way of thinking is the result of negative feeling not the cause of it. I would add that's its more than just the knowledge though it comes with a feeling of trappedness, which is like a dissociation from everything. (kind of like an unhealthy 5 if you know enneagram)

When you are in that state it seems absolutely ridiculous that there's such a simple way to solve it and that's to think more positively, but yeah that's absolutely how you stop it bothering you. And yes it is a phase, but that doesn't help much when you're in the phase lol, but yea I'm definitely on my way out of the phase which is good.

Thanks again


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## shameless (Apr 21, 2014)

I feel I know way more then what is good for me in the downside of many realities of life based on exposure and experience. I think I exceed many peers in my life experience in some harsh realties which is knowledge in one manner but even there theres a lot of people that exceed me as well. 

But no I do not take on an all knowing mentality, theres a lot of things I know nothing on in life as well. (Might I suggest you consider that from your end-food for thought) Intuition, Perceptiveness, IQ, and Senses none of those things really complete anyone they are useful tools (and I am sorry but speculation from any of those scopes does not go nearly as far as constructive evaluation on the logical end or the reason of emotions, or experience). 


I believe what your actually relating is a normal transitional faze in life, that when people are healthy and mature they grow out of thinking so one dimensional on their own perception of their own realties relevance. 

I am guessing your Fi and intuition heightened send you into some sort of heightened realty on metamorphosis. Just bear in mind that most people are having their own epiphanies thru the way they process.


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## Chesire Tower (Jan 19, 2013)




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## Amine (Feb 23, 2014)

I don't feel like I know too much. However, there is a strange and sometimes aggravating feeling these days in feeling like I have a complete understanding of purpose. For a long time, 20 something years, I was extremely confused about life all the time. I didn't get it at all and it was driving me crazy and I was constantly trying to get to the bottom of it. Well, finally I accomplished this to my satisfaction, and now I'm like 'uhhhh..'

I almost, _almost_, miss the days when I was confused because having questions and being unsure makes the world a different place. People are a lot more boring now because I can tell in moments if they know what they're talking about, and that amounts to basically no one. I used to be able to talk to various people more eagerly, because who knows, maybe I will find something out from them about life! Now, no. Now they're just confused morons who should be listening to me instead of talking but don't realize it. Books were more interesting. Song lyrics were more interesting. Movies and Tv as well. Now they grate my ears more than ever before. There was so much to figure out. Now everything I don't know feels like mere technical details. 

But like I said... _almost_. It's like getting the biggest ship in a video game and having nothing else to try to earn. So now instead of trying to earn the big ship, I gotta use the big ship. That's something I've not even come close to figuring out, and doubt I ever will fully.


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## hksfdgknsjbdklrafbku (Jan 2, 2015)

Amine said:


> I don't feel like I know too much. However, there is a strange and sometimes aggravating feeling these days in feeling like I have a complete understanding of purpose. For a long time, 20 something years, I was extremely confused about life all the time. I didn't get it at all and it was driving me crazy and I was constantly trying to get to the bottom of it. Well, finally I accomplished this to my satisfaction, and now I'm like 'uhhhh..'
> 
> I almost, _almost_, miss the days when I was confused because having questions and being unsure makes the world a different place. People are a lot more boring now because I can tell in moments if they know what they're talking about, and that amounts to basically no one. I used to be able to talk to various people more eagerly, because who knows, maybe I will find something out from them about life! Now, no. Now they're just confused morons who should be listening to me instead of talking but don't realize it. Books were more interesting. Song lyrics were more interesting. Movies and Tv as well. Now they grate my ears more than ever before. There was so much to figure out. Now everything I don't know feels like mere technical details.
> 
> But like I said... _almost_. It's like getting the biggest ship in a video game and having nothing else to try to earn. So now instead of trying to earn the big ship, I gotta use the big ship. That's something I've not even come close to figuring out, and doubt I ever will fully.


You should try meditation maybe, I think it could benefit you


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## Amine (Feb 23, 2014)

pearslug said:


> You should try meditation maybe, I think it could benefit you


*Raised eyebrow*

I practiced meditation pretty extensively for 5 years. But even if I hadn't, I'm not sure what sitting quietly and paying attention would teach me, other than relaxation, which I'm not really lacking.


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## tanstaafl28 (Sep 10, 2012)

pearslug said:


> Sometimes when I feel low, I have this belief that I am too clever, knowledgeable and have contemplated too many deep thoughts to ever be truly happy. This is scary to me, it makes me feel trapped and my whole life feels shorter when I feel like this. Do any of you have this thing, and is it rational to have this belief?



No, it is being jaded. Having deep thoughts shouldn't bar you from being happy. If you think you have to go "looking" for it, or "find" it, then you're doing it wrong. 

Happiness is appreciating the joy of the moment you are in _right now_. If you are able to contemplate deep thoughts, you should take joy that you have the necessary gifts to do so. Not everyone has those gifts. Put your gifts to some use that brings you (and hopefully others) joy. 

"Follow your bliss." - Joseph Campbell


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## s2theizay (Nov 12, 2014)

pearslug said:


> Sometimes when I feel low, I have this belief that I am too clever, knowledgeable and have contemplated too many deep thoughts to ever be truly happy. This is scary to me, it makes me feel trapped and my whole life feels shorter when I feel like this. Do any of you have this thing, and is it rational to have this belief?


I honestly can't comprehend that, but I think it's interesting that this is linked to feeling low for you. Do you know why that is? What is it about contemplating deeply that would make you unhappy? Is it a feeling of having nothing else to explore? Like you somehow managed to live your entire life and figure everything out before your time was up? Please, please, please explain.

EDIT: Nevermind. You answered everything in #42...wait..._*that's*_ it, isn't it! Whoa. My mind has been blown. I need to think about this

*I know this appears to be facetious, but it isn't. You described the existential crisis I have every so often, but it's the pointlessness of continuing to learn instead of feeling that I already know enough. And 42...how coincidental.


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## bluesontuesday (Jun 4, 2014)

alittlebear said:


> Sorry, just to clear up, I didn't mean that I was shocked that the world wasn't good good good all the time. I mean I'm a traumatized person and I've had too-close encounters with manifestations of evil in people. I understand bad things happen in the world, but it's a little sad when you recognize that bad things take hold of people, and that those bad things taking hold of people branches out to hurt so many others.
> 
> ... Not to be melodramatic. I just wanted to clear that up. It's not just my knowledge that "bad things can happen" that makes me feel like I know too much about cruelty.


I'm sorry you've been hurt. So have I (that's probably why I'm sorry). I understand that knowing bad things can happen does not make them good. But, you know, bad things *will* happen, and some things that happen *are* good, and they will also happen.

I hope this helps.


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