What Do We Need in Knowledge - Depth or Width ?

Depth of knowledge refers to the amount of information one possesses regarding a particular subject or topic whereas width of knowledge implies to the diversity of one’s areas of proficiency. Whether it is the depth or the width of knowledge that matters may vary from person to person with respect to the requirements of his circumstances .

Knowledge may be perceived as a relative term. To have knowledge at a particular instant actually implies the possession of better knowledge than what the individual had   before that instant. One cannot define an upper limit to the amount of knowledge an individual can acquire. This is because ever concept in the universe has some amount of assumptions involved or some possibilities ignored . To improve knowledge would in turn mean to reduce the number of facts assumed.

It is said that having little knowledge may often prove more fatal than no knowledge. This is true since the amount of knowledge we have been ignorant about could make all the difference. This is where the importance of the depth of our knowledge comes into question. However it is not expected by an individual to have a profound knowledge about every concept he encounters in his life.

On the contrary having very deep knowledge regarding few topics and being ignorant about other areas is not appreciated. One turns out to become a jack of all trades but king of none. But eventually it depends on the needs of the scenario that an individual lives in that determines the width and depth of knowledge expected from him.