Reverence for the pursuit of knowledge

"A man goes to knowledge as he goes to war, wide awake, with fear, with respect, and with absolute assurance. Going to knowledge or going to war in any other manner is a mistake, and whoever makes it will live to regret his steps." (Carlos Castenada, The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge, 1968)

While I doubt that anyone can have an "absolute assurance" of the consequences of their going to war or their pursuit of knowledge, Don Juan makes a powerful point with his analogy. Knowledge has the power to destroy or to create. If those who seek knowledge desire to be good stewards of their discoveries, they must approach their quest with reverence and humility. They must remain ever vigilant against the counterfeit conclusions and vain assumptions that would deceive them. Not all knowledge is truth. Knowledge will take your ignorance and innocence, but it does not have to take your optimism or virtue.