“People are difficult to govern because they have too much knowledge.”
Ignorance is bliss, they say. Often because not knowing about problems or impending doom means there is nothing present to upset or sadden. Without stress or sadness we are blissful, we are happy. This doesn’t have to be true, as we can control our happiness. However, for most people it is true, and quite often the more we know the more we desire to know. This thirst for knowledge can become insatiable, to such a degree that we think we know a better way to do everything.
It is from this false sense of confidence that we gain ego-filled independance. It is not bad to be independant, however it is not bad to be dependant either. Let me rephrase that: We do not all realize that we are all dependant on each other in this world, in this universe. We are all dependant, it makes it easier to survive. It also makes living more enjoyable. We, however, become quite upset when someone we depend on turns out to be, well, not dependable.
With that said, the more knowledge we have, the more independance we strive for. This makes it difficult to be governed by others. If we were all without knowledge, or ignorant, then our government could do whatever they please and we would not even question them. Once we gain knowledge of how they spend tax dollars, or of how they live by different rules, or of all the rules they require us to live by, then, and only then, do we become difficult to govern.
Let us not be too independant, nor be too dependant. In our quest for knowledge, let us not get such inflated egos that we stop questioning everything, even that which we think we already know. Knowledge is tricky, and is related to but not quite the same as wisdom. Wisdom is more than just collecting facts. It is also knowing that we may not really know what we think we know.