Of Nighthounds and Knowledge

During the years that I have spent on the door, I have discovered an interesting paradox. (Or at least I think it is a paradox. But I am merely a bouncer and not a philosopher). People tend to presuppose that everyone who have chosen the path of a “nighthound” have done so because they are educationally inferior to those, who have gone on to choose other paths. The reason I treat it as a “paradox” is because my personal journey has led me to meet a myriad of men and women who either still are or at some period of life have been among the countless “nighthounds” keeping the nights creatures at bay. One thing they all have in common is that all of them have an excellent knowledge of some particular field which though not necessarily developed over the years of academic endeavours can none the less be compared by its magnitude to the one obtained by those considered “experts” in their field. But the devil as they say is in the details.

Most mundane and banal approach taken by those aching to show their superiority over a “nighthound” is expressed by simple references to academic or professional achievements obtained in comparison to just “jerking around” on the door. Now that is one misguided, lousy (and lazy) and methodologically inaccurate way of showing off. First of all, mere compilation of a “best of” list of your achievements will only serve one purpose. Your personal mental (hopefully not physical) satisfaction. Person to whom you list all of your “achievements” will rarely even bother to pay any attention to the list provided for the misguided attempt to establish superiority. I mean lets face it. If you approach the issue from the viewpoint that “nighthounds” are basically morons with a minuscule mind, then what good will it do to list to them professions and expertise that is a priori beyond their mental capacity. One may have more fun spending that same amount of time on talking to a pet. Besides, wouldn’t it be more “mentally superior” to demonstrate ones excellence by not wasting time on pointless endeavours. But then again. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Second, by merely listing your achievements you are not providing any proof of actually learning anything while getting all of those fancy knickknacks. Making lists is easy. Proving that you actually belong among those chosen to be on this or that list is a different story.

An upgrade from previous installment of “academic avenger” is a pointed suggestion to do something more meaningful with one’s life than to “stand on the door”. Why should you waste away in cold and wet darkness, when you can be pursuing an “angelic light” of education in a prospering academic environment instead of subjecting oneself to the horrors of the night. Now, given that you have previously established that a person whom you are addressing has actually never been to (or is as of yet not enrolled in) college, your encouraging suggestion still bears no meaning without explanatory note on how this change of scenery would affect ones life (both knowledge and monetary wise). It is all good and dandy to simply say that college is an “enlightening experience”, but if you do not substantiate your own claims, it is hard to take you seriously. Even for someone as “dumb” as a “nighthound”. It gets exponentially worse with those who have been (or at the moment of your suggestion are enrolled in) college. They might have completely different point of view (or are as of yet in the middle of developing one). Then you have ended up with potentially opening up a floor for discussion, but since you did so from a demeaning point of view, I do not encourage you to have high hopes about potentially positive outcomes of that particular discussion. After all, once you disrespect someone you are a fair game to be dissed back.

And last but not the least are those, who are unable to comprehend that there are different forms of knowledge, just as there are different ways of accumulating that same knowledge. For a “nighthound”, knowledge is accumulation of facts and their practical applications. Ever since the world has had more or less unified understanding about the benefits of mandatory schooling, we can safely assume (except if we have a good reason not to do so), that every “nighthound” has had at least minimal yet beneficial contact with an educational system. Therefore they are not a tabula rasa. They have knowledge hidden within them. It just takes time to engage, find and assess it. Besides, I have personally witnessed demolition of “academic avengers” by the “nighthounds” in situations where those engaging with an argument of academic superiority have blatantly disregarded a very real possibility of lacking sufficient practical experience in the field they are academically pursuing. Yes it might be the case that the person in front of you has not read all the textbooks and not attended all the academic colloquia you have, but has merely practiced and honed the skills you have as of yet to put into practice. Your argument will shatter under the sheer amount of practical experience. It is a delightful site when misguided academic jargon gets split open by savvy expertise.

I am not saying that there does not exist differences between ways and methods of accumulation of knowledge. What I am saying is that mere assumption of superiority does not provide real superiority. Before embarking on the road of “rubbing it in their faces” make sure you are well equipped and heartily stocked for the battles that will inevitably ensue on this path of war. Because if you are not, your defeat will not be glorious, it will be meager and blithe.