The Curse of Wisdom

This philosophical poem explores the paradox of fear and knowledge. It suggests that phobia is a byproduct of accumulated information—both what we know and what we fail to know.

Phobia happens
as a result of the things
you know
which you
shouldn't
have known
and the things
you don't
know
which you
should
have known

But if your brain
were to
be removed
or cleared of
everything
you know,
your phobia
will vanish
with it
and you become blank,
like a hole.

If all you know
can be removed
from your head
you instantly become
as bold
as a goat.

©Godwin Isiwu.

Author's Note

Author’s mock paraphrase: The poem explains that a person’s shyness is definitely as a result of all the information they have accumulated in their brain since they were small. Since this is the case and the victim can’t revert the knowledge, having supremely more knowledge of what he knows and what he doesn’t, or having supremely less of it is the only way to manipulate his beliefs: if he had access to more knowledge then he can decide between what's true and what's untrue, filter out illusions from facts. And if he had access to less knowledge, then he wouldn’t even know that any of his troubles existed.