Knowledge Cannot Be Certified

A coach

Or scientist

Develops a concept.

 

He introduces his concept

To his colleagues

And clients

In his subculture.

 

The concept,

Particularly if it has a catchy title,

Or is presented in certain colors,

Or with a particularly handsome logo,

Or with a complex scientific-academic-name . . .

Gains steam.

 

The coach is then invited

To various conferences

To speak about his concept.

 

The masses,

Always hungry for the new and the shiny,

Take to it.

 

Perhaps the concept

Is valid.

 

Perhaps it helps some people.

 

But sooner or later,

The entire thing will collapse.

 

Not necessarily because the concept

Was invalid.

It may have been a valid concept.

 

But it has to collapse.

There is almost no other possibility.

 

Not necessarily because something better

Will come along.

 

For it may, in fact,

Be a once-in-a-century idea.

 

But invariably

And almost without fail,

It will die.

 

Its popularity

May not die.

 

Its effectiveness

Absolutely will.

 

Why is this so.

 

Because of the nature

Of the individual who developed it.

 

This individual

Lives in the world.

 

He is absolutely certain

To subscribe to the world

And its ways.

 

He is certain

To have friends

And colleagues

And mentors.

 

Therefore,

Though he may become wealthy,

His idea

Will die a horrible death.

 

Because he will do

What others have done.

 

Because he is worldly,

He will do

What the world does.

 

Because he is worldly,

He will do

What his friends,

Colleagues,

And mentors

Will tell him to do.

 

Package it.

Market it.

And Certify it.

 

Create a certification program

Open to all-comers.

 

Pay 399

Or 799

Or 2299 . . .

And become level 1,

Level 2,

Level 3

Certified.

 

The purity

Will begin to seep out

Like air from a balloon.

 

Every individual

From the smart to the dumb

Will pay the fee

And become certified.

 

They will then begin to “teach”

What the original man invented.

 

It is finished.

 

The man who invented it

Need not be ashamed.

 

After all,

Perhaps he did it for money.

No shame in this.

 

Perhaps he enjoys

Having his name on this certified product,

And enjoys the fact

That so many are teaching his concept.

No shame in this.

 

But the concept

Is finished.

 

It will in very short order

Become a story

That gets told and retold.

 

And with each re-telling,

A detail is missed.

 

With each re-telling

A nuance is omitted.

 

With each re-telling

An essence is misinterpreted.

 

And now you have

The modern-day yoga.

With mats that come

In all colors of the rainbow.

 

If there is shame,

Perhaps it belongs to the man

Who is willing to become certified

By another’s concept.

 

Level 1 practitioner . . .

Level 2 practitioner . . .

Level 3 coach . . .

Certified instructor . . .

 

A regurgitation of knowledge

Is not knowledge.

It is regurgitation.

 

Purity

Is not for purity’s sake.

It is for Effectiveness’ sake.

 

All ideas

That may be born valid,

Die a horrible death

In the grave

Of a society that seeks the dumbed down,

The diluted,

And the discounted.

 

Knowledge

Is not related purely to content.

 

It must remain

Within the microenvironment

In which it grows.

 

A flower

Plucked from its native soil,

Is a flower

That has begun to die.

 

Namaste.