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Auntie Pinko
May
3, 2001
Dear Auntie Pinko,
Why is it so hard to turn knowledge into action? Did Einstein
have anything to say on this?
Sincerely,
Christopher in Berkeley, CA
Dear Christopher,
Dr. Einstein seems to have had something to say on almost
any subject. Perhaps that's one advantage to being famous;
so many of one's remarks are recorded for posterity. In the
case of your question, while Dr. Einstein is silent on methods
to calculate the actual and potential mass of "knowledge,"
and the resulting requirements for its conversion into energy
(or "action,") he does offer us this gentle reminder:
"We should be on our guard not to overestimate science and
scientific methods when it is a question of human problems."
Dr. Einstein was a wise man and was well aware of his limitations.
We, too, should maintain a healthy awareness of our own limitations.
Rare indeed is the solitary individual who is capable of re-directing
or even deeply influencing the course of political event.
While high-profile leaders like Mr. Gore, Mr. Nader, or Mr.
Bush may appear to wield a powerful guiding hand on the course
of political events, they could not succeed in doing so without
the small day to day actions of millions of ordinary Americans
like yourself.
There are many things that prevent us from turning knowledge
into action. Habit is a powerful influence. "But we've always
done it this way" is in serious competition for the Seven
Most Destructive Words Ever Uttered. Since our universe includes
the dimension of "time," nothing is static enough to
justify those words. (And that goes for Mr. Scalia and his
silly Originalists, too!)
Habit is our refuge when we are too tired from overwork and
stress, or too lazy from lack of stimulus. Auntie Pinko would
suggest, therefore, that we Democrats all make a stern effort
to maintain a sensible lifestyle that both provides us with
regular exposure to stimulating ideas and experiences, and
gives us opportunities to rest and contemplate potential changes.
Another reason we sometimes fail to turn knowledge into action
is the all-too-human reality of self-interest. If the action
suggested by our knowledge seems to cost us time, or money,
or comfort, we often decline to act. In this case, it is often
too little knowledge, rather than too much, that is
the problem, and we can overcome it by making the extra effort
to further educate ourselves. I would suggest special attention
to the long-term perspective, with an eye to how today's "costs"
of taking action might compare to tomorrow's costs of not
taking action.
Thank you for writing to Auntie Pinko!
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