Knowledge
An animal knows some things by instinct. Some animals learn things, such
as how to get food, from their parents. But no animal can think up new
ideas and teach these ideas to other animals. That’s something only
people can do.
Very long ago, people didn’t use numbers. But when they began to keep
herds of sheep and cows, they had to be able to count their animals. So
people thought of numbers. This was a new idea. People taught their
children about numbers, and in this way they passed the idea along.
Once, there was no such thing as writing. Then, people thought of the
alphabet. This was a new idea, one they could teach to others.
All through history, people have thought of new ideas and new ways to do
things. Paper on which to write. Printing presses for printing books.
Television to send pictures into my home. Computers that quickly solve
problems that would take people years to work out. Machines to do all
kinds of work.
All these ideas have been passed along from the people of one time to
people born long after them.
I am a person. I can learn from all the
millions of people who have lived before me. All their ideas and
thinking have been passed along to me. That’s knowledge. And knowledge
is one of the greatest of all gifts.
