Prompt: Can knowledge be a burden?
“Knowledge is a burden if it doesn’t bring joy. Knowledge is a burden if it robs you of innocence.” -Sri Sri Shankar. In many ways, knowledge can be a burden, especially at the end of WW2, and in everyday life.
At the end of WW2, the U.S. shocked the world with the devastating effect of the atomic bomb. 140,000 innocent civilians were killed in Hiroshima, and more than ½ were killed instantly. And in Nagasaki, another 80,000 innocent people were killed. The creation of the Atomic Bomb was due to new knowledge in atoms and nuclear energy. Albert Einstein carried a burden for the rest of his life knowing that some of his discoveries had led to 220,000 innocent deaths, and knowing that he had recommended to the president that an atomic bomb be made. Einstein said 5 months before his death, "I made one great mistake in my life… when I signed the letter to President Roosevelt recommending that atom bombs be made.”
Overhearing people gossiping or saying nasty things about you can be a burden you do not want. Or if you hear something negative about someone close to you it can be a burden - for example, the knowledge that one of your parents is having an affair - do you tell the other parent? Knowledge like this can put a child or adolescent under enormous stress on debating what to do.
Knowledge is not a bad thing, but used in excessive amounts, like the atomic bomb. Or if it is heard accidentally, that knowledge can be a burden too. So overall, knowledge has the potential to be a great burden.