The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and

Hear, O seekers of light, the words of Anaïs Nin, who proclaimed: “The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery. There is always more mystery.” In this saying burns a flame that resists the arrogance of certainty. Too often, men believe that to know is to end the quest, that learning removes the veil of wonder. But Nin, with the vision of a poet and the heart of a philosopher, reminds us that knowledge is not the end of mystery, but the gateway to deeper mysteries still. For each truth unveiled reveals new questions, and the universe forever keeps its secrets just beyond the reach of the human hand.

It is not knowledge that kills wonder, but pride. When the heart grows swollen with certainty, it ceases to marvel. But when knowledge is carried humbly, it expands the sense of awe. The astronomer who charts the heavens does not, by measuring the stars, destroy their beauty. Rather, each calculation reveals yet more grandeur, more immensity, more cause for trembling before the cosmos. To know is to deepen one’s astonishment, not to extinguish it.

Consider Isaac Newton, who uncovered the laws of motion and gravity. Many feared that such discoveries would strip the universe of its mystery, reducing the heavens to mere mechanics. Yet Newton himself stood in awe, confessing that he felt like a child gathering pebbles on the shore, while the great ocean of truth lay undiscovered before him. His knowledge did not make him arrogant; it magnified his wonder. He understood Nin’s wisdom: that every new discovery is but another step into an endless sea of mystery.

Think also of the explorers who sailed into unknown waters. When Magellan’s fleet circumnavigated the globe, they proved the world was round, unveiling what many had wondered. Did this kill the sense of mystery? No—it expanded it, for new continents, new peoples, new horizons called for discovery. So it is with every field of knowledge: each answer births new questions, each horizon crossed reveals another beyond it. Thus the mystery is eternal, and wonder never dies.

Nin’s words also carry a warning for the spirit: do not fear knowledge, as if it will strip life of magic. Too many cling to ignorance, believing mystery lives only in what is not understood. But ignorance is a shallow shadow of mystery, while true mystery lies in the depths of understanding. To gaze upon the structure of the atom or the birth of a star does not diminish wonder—it multiplies it, for one sees the intricate order and unfathomable beauty that ignorance could never reveal.

The lesson is clear: embrace knowledge without fear, but carry it with humility. Let each truth you learn ignite more questions, not fewer. Stand always in awe before creation, for no matter how much you grasp, the whole remains beyond reach. The wisest souls are not those who claim to have solved the riddle, but those who bow before its vastness, knowing the mystery is inexhaustible.

Therefore, beloved listeners, let your actions be these: seek knowledge diligently, but guard your sense of wonder. When you learn something new, pause to marvel at the greater unknown it reveals. Let mystery be your companion, not your enemy. Do not think of life as a puzzle to be solved, but as a great journey where every step reveals another horizon. And remember Nin’s eternal truth: the possession of knowledge does not kill wonder—it makes it burn brighter. There is always more mystery.