Studies

Sir Francis Bacon’s essay on “Of studies”

Central Argument: A true wise person is someone who applies his knowledge to his everyday life and one that knows how to use it appropriately.

I agree with Sir Francis Bacon idea of a wise man being someone who actually applies his knowledge to his life. There is no point in someone learning something and then forgetting to apply it and make the most out of it. We see examples of people who do this everywhere, especially in school. They study for a test and then forget everything they studied. I agree with him because all the well rounded students apply their knowledge in all aspects of their lives.

            There are many students in school, including me, who learn for grades. We do everything in school to get good grades. We cram everything in our heads right before the exams and flush it out immediately after the exam is over. I often don’t even remember the questions on the test. Therefore I am not a well-rounded student. I cannot be. When I chuck everything out of my brain I cannot use that knowledge in my everyday life. Math is one example of this. I could have used most of my math skill which I had acquired throughout my schooling so far if only I remembered it. It would have made my life easier. Therefore, only the student who learns and remembers their knowledge is a well-rounded student. Only well-rounded students can apply their knowledge in the lives, because they actually remember it.

            Wise people don’t show off their knowledge. They use it appropriately; they use it when they need to. Diary of a wimpy kid is a really good example of this. This book talks about two boys who are in middle school. One of the boys is really desperate to be popular. He is the more smart kid. However, this is what causes him to be disliked by his very own best friend. He shows off his knowledge and judges his best friend works. He thinks he is smarter than his best friend. His best friend gets in to a huge fight with him because of this. This shows that even though you may be smart and intelligent you still are not wise if you are showing it off.   Being wise does not mean showing your talents at any given point or manner. That too is a skill required to be a wise person.

            Mark Zucherberg, the founder of Facebook has used his intelligence to provide the world a better source of communication. He was extremely intelligent and he used this to create Facebook, a social networking site that has connected people all over the world. A man, who is known for his skills with technology and he knows how to use his intelligence for the betterment of the world.  If people do not have a Facebook account they are usually not as sociable as people who do. Many people might say that Facebook has actually decreased the communication skills amongst people, well; I believe that there are only a few that have been affected by this. People all around the world use Facebook to share ideas, make pages for their company to promote it. This is the way a student from Harvard made his name renowned.

            Wise people can resist the temptation of showing off and acting superior. Wise people don’t really have to act superior people automatically make them superior. Therefore people who are show offs are not wise and people who can control themselves and are well-round students who apply their knowledge to the real world are indeed the true wise people.