Question

Essay on the topic a little knowledge is a dangerous thing

Answer 1

Explanation:

Little Learning is a Dangerous Thing (free to read). These words by Alexander Pope are full of meaning. As a general rule, learning must not be a dangerous thing.

As Horace Mann says, “A human being is not in any proper sense a human being till he is educated.” But a little learning becomes a dangerous thing when it is applied to real life as a substitute for perfect learning.

Take the medical line. If a doctor has not got a proper degree through hard and dedicated work, he can prove a nuisance to society. He can kill more people than he can save. The bridges, buildings and dams built by an engineer with imperfect knowledge of his subject will collapse sooner rather than later. A teacher who is not a master of his subject will only misguide his students.The modern age is an age of specialization. In every field, we need specialists who can guide us better. But, unfortunately, there are also many quacks. Many unskilled people are cunning enough to masquerade as specialists. The credulous people are duped by them. We must try to distinguish between the real and fictitious specialists and try to beware of the latter species.

A man with real and deep knowledge is generally sober and humble. He is not interested in giving himself airs and indulg­ing in cheap publicity. He believes in con­structive work. It is not his motto to make an easy buck. But a man of shallow knowledge shows himself off. He is always after one or the other victim. He may wear artificial smiles and gaudy or holy clothes. But sooner or later he gets exposed. He can cause great harm to society.

Answer 2

Answer:

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing

The proverb 'A little knowledge is a dangerous thing' expresses the idea that gaining a little knowledge can mislead people into thinking that they are more expert than they really are. This mindset of overconfidence and pride can lead to making serious mistakes which we will regret later. The saying is attributed to Alexander Pope and found in his An Essay on Criticism, 1709. The purpose of the saying is not to stop us from doing something but to acquire as much knowledge as possible before doing it. When we do things with proper knowledge it minimises the risk and danger to ourselves and to other people.

A doctor who has not earned his degree through hard and dedicated work is a menace to his patients. He can cause death instead of curing and saving their lives. Large and long bridges or tall buildings built by an engineer with inadequate knowledge will collapse sooner or later. A teacher who is not qualified enough will only misguide his students and ruin their future careers.

A man with deep knowledge is humble and does not indulg­e in cheap publicity. He will be known by the high quality of his works. But a man of shallow knowledge always try to show off to impress other people. He proclaims himself to be an expert. Such a man causes great harms to the society.

This proverb warns us not to become falsely overconfident when we merely possess a small amount of knowledge about a subject. We should study and research on a topic extensively before proclaiming ourselves as experts.