TOK – EXHIBITION

Prompt 17 - Why do we seek knowledge? [Knowledge and Knower]

Object selected – Diary

- A picture of my personal diary

Commentary

Why? for years this question has been asked in different contexts and different setting,
whether it be in response to a task you don’t want to do, a curious question or even when you
want an explanation. The word “why” can be used in many ways and therefore is one of the
most versatile questions out there, it can be asked without any precedents or even with them.
So, “why do we seek knowledge”, the answer is inherently an oxymoron as it is both
extremely simple and complicated. Knowledge is a concept, knowledge is a faith, knowledge
is just knowing. In a world that’s always changing with different ideas, inventions,
ideologies, facts, and beliefs coming every single day, it is hard to cope up and actually try
and “know” it all. However, it is the ability of knowledge to ever expand that has forced us to
engage in a constant pursuit of knowledge. We as humans strive to know how much ever we
can because, “what we don’t know is what scares us” and the moment we end this race or this
pursuit for knowledge is when we as humankind have failed to innovate.
My diary has always been an important part of my life. Moreover, it helps me keep up. My
diary is a personal example of,” why I seek knowledge”. My diary has every single day of the
year written on it, which symbolizes my constant want or in fact need for knowledge because
the day I stop seeking knowledge is the day I stop using the diary. And to a certain extent,
that tells us a lot about, the knower, and how their constant or repeated need for knowledge is
what is keeping their curiosity, or maybe even the excitement in their life, alive.