“I took my degree at Turin in 1941, summa cum laude – and while I say it I have the definite sensation of not being believed, of not even believing it myself; it is enough to look at my dirty hands covered with sores, my convict’s trousers encrusted with mud. Yet I am he, the B. Sc. Of Turin, in fact, at this particular moment it is impossible to doubt my identity with him, as my reservoir of knowledge of organic chemistry, even after so long an inertia, responds at request with unexpected docility. And even more, this sense of lucid elation, this excitement which I feel warm in my veins, I recognize it, it is the fever of examinations, my fever of my examinations, that spontaneous mobilization of all my logical faculties and all my knowledge, which my friends at university so envied me” (Pg 106).
Sometimes I wonder if the education in the high school is worth it. Some adults told me that they only remember about 10% of what they learned in “difficult” courses such as History, Trigonometry, Physics, and more. But we can see from this passage that the knowledge that he obtained in the past actually saved Primo Levi’s life and it helped Primo to have a special privilege. Thus we must have and crave for more knowledge and understanding but there is a counter affect on that. Often time, people with great knowledge becomes boastful and arrogant, and usually disdain others that has “lesser” knowledge than them. This creates a huge issue because I have seen a faithful Christian, who was erudite and brilliant, became aloof from God and started to live for himself because he considered himself “better” than everyone else. He didn’t respect others with any knowledge. He barely listens to other’s opinions since he believed that all his views, thoughts, and morality were the truth and correct. So we should be careful to be humble and glorify God for His mighty help on us to be bright and well-educated.
