Now You Know (Ecc. 1:18)

“For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.” ~ Ecclesiastes 1:18 ESV

 

            When I was a teenager, G.I. Joe was an animated series I found myself watching on Saturday mornings. One of the most memorable quotes from the show was, “Now you know, and knowing is half the battle.” Maybe some of you have heard it? I always thought it was cool because, in 1985ish, we hadn’t been exposed to the internet. If you wanted to know something, you had to either go to the library and do some research or you’d find someone who was a subject matter expert and gain knowledge from them. Ahhh, the good old days.

            Fast forward a decade or so and in 1999 the Army published FM 22-100, Army Leadership: Be Know Do. In its preface, the Army states, “The Army leadership framework brings together many existing leadership concepts by establishing leadership dimensions and showing how they relate to each other. Solidly based on BE, KNOW, DO – that is, character, competence, and action – the Army leadership framework provides a single instrument for leader development.”[1] So, “know” equates to competence. I agree with this statement within the framework in which it is written.

The Army, with all its bumps and bruises, has been recognized for generations as a professional organization which identifies and develops leaders. The framework from which this development occurs has been substantial enough that in 2004, Frances Hesselbein and Richard Cavanagh, wrote the book Be-Know-Do: Leadership the Army Way to share the Army’s insights to a broader audience. For years now, organizations have attempted to mimic the template for their own professional development efforts in leaders. Targeting the “know” aspect, Mike Reuter adds, “KNOW – This is about the and skill sets you need to be competent as a leader.”[2]

            So, knowing is important. Competence is important. Why wouldn’t it be? We can leverage knowledge, can’t we? We seek SMEs for their knowledge. Sometimes, we seek to be the SME so others can glean from our knowledge. We have access to the information we need 24/7. Google and other search engines have become the most efficient means by which to become armchair SMEs. We don’t need years of research to speak intelligently on any subject these days. All we need is a smartphone, 10 minutes online, and BAM! – we are now the SME on COVID, mask mandates, Critical Race Theory, foreign policy, the exit strategy for Afghanistan, and any issue tweaking our interest.

            However, I’d like to remind you of what Solomon warned us in the book of Ecclesiastes. The more you know, the more you’re going to be burdened with knowledge. The more you’re burdened with knowledge, the more you’ll become aware of the bad things – the evil in the world. I would suggest, it’s more like Adam and Eve’s situation in the Garden of Eden. The only fruit they were denied in the Garden was the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Gen. 3). When they ate the fruit, their eyes were opened.

The more you know … the more you’re exposed to the good and bad … your eyes are opened. All too often, we become overwhelmed by the bad. And sometimes, we allow ourselves to be consumed by the bad. When you or I increase in knowledge, there’s always the reality we will increase in sorrow simply because we’re exposed to more information – more data – which further illuminates the situation or circumstance. Things will be exposed the further we go down the rabbit hole … the deeper we go into the matrix (for those Wonderland and sci-fi fans).

            In our current world and national situations, we must be careful with what we’re wanting to know – the knowledge for which we’re digging. We must be careful in what we allow ourselves to be exposed. I’m not suggesting we remain ignorant or naïve, I’m suggesting we must use discernment in the knowledge we gain … and the knowledge we seek to gain.

And then what? Use your knowledge for good. Use your knowledge for the benefit of others. Use your knowledge to make the world a better place.

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[1] Field Manual Number 22-100, Army Leadership: Be Know Do, (Headquarters, Department of the Army: Washington, D.C., August 31, 1999), viii.

[2] Mike Reuter, “Be-Know-Do Model of Leadership,” in Three Minute Leadership, May 1, 2016, https://threeminuteleadership.com/2016/05/01/be-know-do-model-of-leadership/.