In the know

Perhaps the most tantalizing thing on earth is a secret.

From our earliest days as children, we love secrets and we know the power they have. I have strong memories of kids chanting the sing-song, "I know something you don't know!" (I bet each of you filled in the tune when you read it!)

But it isn't just children. . . adults are just as susceptible to the lure of a secret.

In ancient days, the Gnostics, whose very name speaks of "knowing," devised an elaborate hierarchy of knowledge for adherents to discover.

Many other groups through the ages have used secret knowledge as the foundation for membership. That, of course, is the whole story behind the DaVinci Code, for example.

Sometimes it is as simple as a secret handshake to be able to get into the treehouse, but sometimes it is much more complex and sinister.

Marketing and advertising have taken advantage of this aspect of our psyche. How many campaigns have you seen that begin with a word or phrase plastered everywhere? Then once everyone begins to wonder what's going on, the product is unveiled. It works everytime.

You have probably noticed in many stores the ubiquitous book, The Secret. It's in bookstores and at Costco and probably will soon be at the gas station too. How we love anything that purports to be a secret!

I wonder about this almost irresistible desire to KNOW. I assume it is part of our DNA and that we are designed in our innermost selves to be seekers.

My mother used to tell me that 'curiosity killed the cat' -- a strange statement at best -- but it is probably our curiosity that determines the path we take in life. Can it be said: we are what we seek?