If you had the choice to know everything or have the ability to do any one thing what would you choose?

Know everything. Eventually, the market will deem my one skill useless because of technology or something.

I truly wish that I had the Scientific means to cure autism. Researchers are getting closer but Polygenic Diseases are very complex and the brain is still not totally understood. This is my dream because the focus of my life is my autistic son.
Imagine loving someone who is bright and capable of doing what matters to him but can not understand abstract concepts.
One day humans will find away to cure Neurological problems and it can not happen quickly enough for me.
My priorities are different than most people.

The latter.
Because the former would fall within that.

I’d take the gift of knowledge because I can share that, no ability to perform necessary.

I’d take the latter, specifically photographic reflexes. :D

Doing everything. TO do them I have to know them so the second includes the first. [if it was about doing everything .. or was it for one thing ONLY?].

Knowing everything, hands down. With that depth of knowledge, I ought to be able to figure out how to do just about anything, within my physical limitations.

Personally I would choose to be able to DO one thing.. and just to clarify in case it is confusing.. the one thing that you can do, you do to perfection.

I would choose to be a pro at musical instruments of all kinds. It would solve my money problems while also allowing me to do what I love to do.

Knowing too much stuff might be worse than it sounds imho. E.G. I don’t want to be able to name the glands that are breaking down when I have strep throat. I don’t need to know the scientific names of obscure insects.. etc etc.

What @augustlan said…

If I understand correctly, option number one is all human knowledge? I would understand as much about particle physics as Brian Cox, as much about racing as Michael Shewmaker, and as much about chicken as The Colonel?

I’d go with knowing, I would be able to invent endless things.

I’m a guy. I already think I know everything so I would enlarge my penis.

Know everything. I can take the time to learn how to do all the things I’m interested in doing, but I could never have enough time to learn all the things I’d like to know.

I’d choose knowledge, especially scientific engineering and computer knowledge , If you have knowledge you could do so many things.I’d share it with everyone and I’d be so grateful because then I’d have no fear because I’d know when the time comes I would have a way out because I would be able to find a workable solution

It’s interesting that almost everyone is choosing knowledge. I understand why that is.. I just wonder if it would be as great as it initially sounds.

Having the knowledge of how to do black belt karate doesn’t mean you have the ability to do it. It wouldn’t be a matrix situation. I just have my doubts about option 1. xD

@digitalimpression I agree that knowing how to do karate at a black belt level would not translate into being able to do it at that level. It would mean knowing how to train yourself to be able to do it, though, which means you could have the ability in addition to all that other knowledge with just a few years of work. If we chose the ability, however, a few years of work could not get us all that additional knowledge.

P.S. Having a black belt does not make one an expert. First dan represents competence in the basics of karate, not mastery. I mention this just in case you run across a genie who takes wishes too literally.

@SavoirFaire With option 2, you can still choose to learn the things you want to learn. I could choose to have the ability to do black belt karate (which is good enough for me, regardless of the technicalities of it) while learning how to play moonlight sonata on my off time (when I’m not winning karate tournaments).

This question is very subjective and lends itself to a personal choice.. so I suppose we all have our reasons.

@digitalimpression I’m not saying you shouldn’t make the choice you want to make. I’m just suggesting that option 1 is not as dubious as you were suggesting. As I explained in my response, the range of things I’d like to know is greater than the range of things I’d like to be able to do. I have time to learn how to do all the things that I want to do, but I don’t have time to learn all the things that I want to know. Thus I would choose option 1.

@SavoirFaire Ok…