Knowledge is Strife

The belief that 'The Truth shall set you free' is obviously nothing more than bollocks; that is, even without referring to postmodern ambiguity. The concept that 'Ignorance is bliss' is also invalid for similar reasons. As such: the accumulation and the absence of knowledge are indeed, Strife.

Why so? Surely knowing something brings liberties, and a greater understanding? I disagree; knowledge is endless, we are not. A search for pure knowledge leads nowhere but back to where you started from. The liberties ascertained from the minute amount of information you gather only lead to a greater sense of not-knowing.

All of which is why ignorance does not bring bliss. A significant lack of knowledge is limiting with respect to your tolerance and flexibility. The more ignorant you are, the more close-minded and miserable you would be. Ultimately, everything has to be the way you are (and want it to be) because otherwise it would be inexplicable, and just plain confusing. Obviously, not much works out the way you want it to.

Ah! But knowledge is control and dangerous. Knowledge can give power to those who know how to manipulate it and destroy those who don't. But where does this power originate from? I suppose we're all thinking there is something more to everything than meets the eye. That knowledge brings about something 'greater', something infinitely terrifying and wondrous.

These are the downfalls of Gnosticism, Jainism, and any other 'mystic' religion(s): that there is nothing more to our existence than the barbaric truths we encounter everyday. That our knowledge is merely a way of copying with our interaction with reality. We constantly think we are being original, innovative, clever and heading to this miraculous thing mentioned as 'progress' or 'development', but these are merely excuses to cope with our aimlessness, our utter pointlessness. Knowledge is knowledge of knowledge; it's actuality is a strife - a constant battle between the wanting-to-know and not-knowing, bringing bliss and misery all in one tidy (infinite?) package.