Past Knowledge Of A Subject example essay topic

Knowledge gained over a period of time in any field is certainly beneficial for future achievements and advancements in that field. Past achievements set a platform for further enhancements. Each piece of contribution adds a rung to the ladder of success in an area. But, at the same time it is prudent to remember that starting fresh in an area without getting influenced from previous or other sources guarantees a new direction and style of work.

Secondly, there is always a first time for everything in the world, when the subject was new and untouched and was taken up by somebody for the first time. Thirdly, the nature and type of area of work also decides to some extent whether past achievements and knowledge is required to excel in that area or not. Past knowledge of a subject gives a clue to start for a novice in that field. One does not have to start from scratch if some work has already been done in the past. It saves him precious time which he can utilise for enhancements in that field. In this way, the knowledge accumulated from past work prevents one to repeat the work already done and equips him with the necessary skill required to advance from the point at which work was left in the past.

A fitting example is in the field of medical science. Today, we have made great advancements in the area of medical research. We have tamed many deadly diseases and raised human life expectancy to a considerable extent. All this progress has not been made in a day. Thousands of researchers over hundreds of years have slowly and gradually built up the rich information base of medical science today. The bacon of knowledge has passed from one generation to other and in the process has undergone enhancement and additions.

Citing another example, a student of computer science acquires a degree after reading the books dealing with basic concepts of computer science. After getting equipped with the basics, he is ready to take up further research in any specialized computer field and make his contributions to it. Without the basics, it would be nearly impossible for him to grasp the intricacies of the subject and move further in his research. Thus, p reacquired basics compiled in the book were a precursor for the student's success. Starting work in a area with a completely fresh mindset uninfluenced by any previous works is in principle key to innovation. There are no preset notions, beliefs or practices.

One is free to experiment in his own way and reach new conclusions. Such an approach allows one to look at an issue from an angle different from previous men and gives a completely novel meaning to things under observation. One may have to put in more effort and time this way but the end results may be very significant in opening doors to newer solutions. To support this claim, let us take the example of Mahatma Gandhi.

At the time of Indian struggle for independence, world had known only one way to seek independence and that was violence. Gandhi was strongly aligned with truth and non violence and successfully lead the country to independence with his new found theory of non-violence. The fact that Gandhi ignored the previous independence seeking practices and believed a novel concept of non-violence didn't stop him from becoming a success and a lesson for the world. The ocean of knoweldge is too vast and deep that it is impossible to discover it in a single lifetime. Knowledge gained by one individual becomes the starting point of another in the journey of advancements.

Man could never had landed on moon, had newton not discovered the law of gravity. But the phenomenon of gravity was unheard of before Newton discovered it. He made a great contribution to the physics world without being influenced by any past work done by any physicist before. The crux of the above discussion is that although knowledge gained thru past work is useful for further enhancements in that area and helps save time and effort, yet it is not essential to make significant contributions to the particular area of work. A work approach which is new, different from the old ones and independent in its spirit too may lead us to wonderful solutions equally significant and essential.