How Old Is Your Knowledge?

A couple of weeks ago I was with my mentor in his office. I went to him not to be lectured, but for a different purpose. As I was about to tell him my mission, a woman came in. This woman, apart from being a veterinary doctor, also holds a Ph.D. in Innovation and Technology Management. She wanted my mentor to drill her for the interview she was to have the next day. Without blinking an eye, my mentor, in his characteristic manner, immediately began to ask some questions on current affairs. At a point I was wondering why my mentor would be asking a Ph.D. holder such ridiculous questions. To my dismay, she could only answer 1 or 2 out of almost 15 questions she was asked.

Following this development, my mentor likened what just happened to how easily knowledge can become stale or obsolete if not used all the time. He gave a graphic analogy I would not forget in a hurry. He said knowledge is like documents that come into a pigeon-hole. The first document to come in soon takes the back seat as more documents are placed in the pigeon-hole. He said what this implies is that the knowledge acquired today soon becomes obsolete or forgotten when not applied. This he said accounted for the inability of the woman to answer the questions she was asked. It was not because she did not know it; it was because like the document that comes into the pigeon-hole she had relegated her current affairs knowledge to the background. What she was conversant with was her Innovation and Technology Management issues. Whatever knowledge you have but not used soon takes the back seat.

What knowledge do you have? How old is your knowledge? Is it stale or still very fresh? Have you pushed it to the back as a result of non-usage like the information in a pigeon-hole? How often do you renew your knowledge? Knowledge is the currency of the 21^st century. It is not what you know that counts but what you do with what you know. What readily comes to mind each time the use of knowledge is being discussed is my foray into farming. I guard the little knowledge I have in this area jealously and renew it always by going for seminars, reading books, watching documentaries and listening to tapes. As a result of the freshness of my knowledge, I have been able to consult for so many people, even graduates of Agriculture, on snail farming, rabbitry, poultry, among others.  Many of these Agriculture graduates, I must confess, seem to have forgotten what they know about Agriculture as a result of non-usage. This suggests that if you don’t put your knowledge to use, it goes to the back position in the pigeon-hole! Once it is in this position it begins to gather dust, leaving its owner with nothing but empty title (s).

Knowledge becomes a value-added tool only when it is used to solve problems. Knowledge is not for ostentatious display. It is not about the number of certificates you have. Certification is not synonymous with knowledge acquisition. If you do not renew your knowledge from time to time you may soon become irrelevant in your field. No matter your profession, you have to keep honing your skills all the time. A friend recently told me about a medical doctor at a University Teaching Hospital who prescribes Paracetamol for all kinds of ailments. Today, he has become so popular that they call him “Paracetamol Doctor”. What a tragedy!

For you not to be like the “Paracetamol Doctor”, you must cultivate the habit of renewing your mind from time to time. And you must also realise that knowing is not sufficient; applying what you know is infinitely more important. So I ask again: How old is your knowledge? Can it solve any problem? If it cannot, it is time to renew your knowledge.