The square knot is a first-aid knot. It is designed to be used to hold a bandage in place until the person can receive medical help. It will hold tightly as long as tensile pressure is steady on the ends of the both ropes. But, if you take the ends of the same rope, and pull them apart, the knot falls apart. This is intentional. This way a doctor can easily and quickly remove the bandage to inspect and treat the wound.
"There have probably been more lives lost as a result of using a Square Knot as a bend (to tie two ropes together) than from the failure of any other half dozen knots combined." (The Ashley Book of Knots, page 258).
The picture at the left shows how easily a stack of square knots, which looks very secure, will collapse when both ends of the red rope are pulled apart. The square knot has a specific purpose and if you use it for any other purpose, the results can be deadly.
There are several other knots that are strong and don't come apart under pressure. The best one to tie two ropes together, used by rock climbers, is the Figure 8 Bend. It only looks complicated, but is actually quite simple to tie.
To make a loop in the end of a rope, the best know is the bowline. It is the knot recommended to secure a person when you are lifting them up a cliff or to make sure your boat or horse are still there when you return.
One of the best sites to learn how to tie any knot is Animated Knots by Grog. There are videos with step by step directions that are easy to follow. Learn the basic knots that will help you tie down a load on a trailer, tie up your boat, tie 2 short ropes together to make a longer one, etc. and be prepared and safe.
All knot photos courtesy of: http://www.animatedknots.com/
Arrow of Light Knot courtesy of: http://www.boyscouttrail.com/square-knots.asp#aol
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