Undergraduate / AP Biology book. I am caught in life, utterly inescapable life - "How did you get Caught" [9]

How did I get caught? I am already caught. The person living down the street from me is caught and so are you, the person reading this right now. I am caught in life, utterly inescapable life. On an early Saturday morning, as I am getting ready to pump some iron, my gaze falls upon my AP Biology book. I nonchalantly fan through all glossy white pages; 1267 pages to be exact. In sheer amazement, I think to myself, "Is this it?" How can life as we know it possibly be defined in only 1267 pages?

Everywhere I go, I am beginning to see that there is an invisible "bar." Not just any old bar, but the type of bar that sets the standards for everyone, and it seems like these days, people are more concerned with barely reaching the bar rather than pushing it up higher. Asking my friends what is their drive of pursuing future studies, they all sadly had the same answer; they wanted to learn everything there was about their field of interest. I cannot help but feel disappointed because I ask myself, "What direction is our motivation taking us?"

Too many people are concerned with wanting to learn everything we have already established. It seems that the luminosity for discovery and excellence is dwindling where as the contentment with mediocrity is on the rise. I feel that we should not settle for what is already there; instead, we should try to find out more. After all, if it wasn't for Stanley Miller's inquisitive testing, the emergence of flies near spoiled food would still be contributed to the "vital force." It is our society today that stresses utter knowledge rather than the spirit to go above and beyond and push our understanding of things to the very limit. We are all caught by this mentality of life and it takes a huge toll by hindering our potential for greatness. Even though I am caught, I see that there is only one way to break the shackles; questions.

People raise their eyebrows and tell me that knowledge is the only way to cut the chain of ignorance. However, I fire back by saying knowledge is too finite, too limiting. Questions on the other hand, can lead to a myriad of possibilities. Knowledge is too black and white. Questions are the root of our desire to learn and comprehend, and it is only through questions that we can improve and advance. What is our life? Just about a mere 90 years give or take? It is really quite sad that many people center their whole lives around making it to the "bar." In other words, people are content with what is there to learn. It is imperative that we do not solely reach for the knowledge aspect of studies, rather we should strive for new discovery. Even though over the past decades our areas of understanding have exponentially increased, there is still so much to be learned. In fact, it is my hope that with many motivational attitudes there will be absolutely incredible advances in medicine and science that would even make the Big Man Upstairs spit out his mocha frappachino coffee in shock.

I used to find myself caught in the same trap; constantly striving for knowledge and nothing else. However, what really appeals to me is the notion of doing something better, finding something new, and taking things to the next level. Knowledge is indeed very important, however, the spark of curiosity and questioning is very much vital.

As more light is starting to come through my window, I am bench pressing with determination. My eyes stare directly at the bar in my hands. With every motion, I extend the bar with all my effort, going a little higher each time. While I am catching a breath, I glance back over to my Biology book. Who knows, there might be 1268 pages in the next edition.