# 440: Living Knowledge
Poem
In Peter Modler’s book Das Arroganzprinzip (“The Arrogance Principle”), which we read in my Storytelling AG this week, one finds the following line: “Da ich pragmatisch vorgehe, scheue ich mich auch nicht vor vereinfachten Aussagen“ (19). This is what every person in the business world learns — pragmatism. And I wish, people in universities would learn that too — students and scholars. I wrote part of a book on pragmatism already, so I do not have to go into it here. It is just that the true and deep meaning of pragmatism keeps unfolding every day. And there is no way back. By the time you have realized that all academic acrobatics are just the very first step of really becoming a wise and creative human being, you have to move on… Academia is not the place where people act. It is not the place where brilliant and innovative minds unfold. It is merely the place where boring people study these other inspiring people. And then you have to make decision of where you belong. That is painful because there is hardly any middle path. But Maya Angelou and so many others guide your way…
Living what you know,
Journey through life.
Any pain.
Any suffering.
Any joy.
Every experience sticks.
Theories shed light.
Intellectualism is nice.
As the first step.
Reading and writing.
Thinking and speaking.
Shapes your being.
For a while.
Some people get stuck there.
Turn it into a career.
They never see,
What life is like outside.
Not wanting to judge.
Know, this sounds arrogant.
But cannot help it,
Living knowledge.
Want to know?
What helps the poor.
The hungry.
The needy.
The abused.
The tortured.
The burdened.
Words?
Smart asses?
PhD titles?
Forget about it.
All your books in vain.
All your good intentions crap.
“What is comfort?”
Action!
Stepping in,
When no one is there.
Living what you know,
In the darkest moments
Within seconds,
Decisions made.
All this time,
Gut feeling straight.
Living what you know,
Takes personality.
All the pain.
All the people in your life.
All the fuckups.
The tears you cried,
And the fights you bore.
That is KNOWLEDGE!
That is COURAGE!
That is TRUE COMFORT.
What is this course called?
A proseminar?
A lecture?
Where can you learn it?
Nowhere!
Get on the journey.
Forget the voices.
Telling you to settle.
Mute the demons,
Holding you back.
Go for knowledge,
No matter what.
Not saying reading is bad,
Not saying universities are useless.
But there is more to do,
More to explore,
And more to share.
Listen to Maya,
Watch the rainbows
In the clouds.
They teach you life.
They ARE knowledge.
YOU can be that too.
In your own way.
With your own style.
With your heart,
Filled with passion.
And with your brain,
Filled with books.
Don’t stop learning.
It is worth it.
But never forget,
To live it to the fullest.
You will meet people,
Who will need it.
You cannot plan,
You cannot expect,
And you cannot prepare.
Just be who you are,
And if you don’t know,
Get on the road.
Find out what is inside,
Feel what is wasted.
Living knowledge,
Is a blessing.
And you deserve it,
If you believe,
That every shit,
You had to endure,
And every book,
That taught you nothing,
Will somehow make sense
Some day,
Some moment,
Some smiling face.
Telling you “thank you”,
You saved me.
Living knowledge,
Start today.
— — —
Reflection Questions
1) What is “knowledge” to you?
2) How do you live what you know?
3) If you were to teach a course in university — what would be the title?