What we know for sure about ignorance

“Ignorance is a self-generating state of mind; one of its characteristics is that it doesn’t recognize itself as ignorant.” – Jane Smiley

“To be ignorant of one’s ignorance is the malady of the ignorant.” – A. Bronson Alcott

In these quotes we see that if we are ignorant, we don’t know it – and that is often an even bigger problem.  We speak like we know, and we act like we know, but we don’t know.  We may be thinking that we don’t want to admit we don’t know because we will look ignorant, so we fool even ourselves.

“If ignorance could speak it would say ‘I know all that I need to know'”. – Dr. Mardy Grothe

When we admit our ignorance it can look a lot like humility, and that will often fill in for any lack of respect we could suffer from now knowing.

More Ignorance

“Ignorance more frequently begets (brings forth) confidence than does knowledge”. – Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin is telling us that ignorant people can be very confident, and he should know.  Just because someone is confident and even sincere, and even sincere, confident and good-hearted, doesn’t mean they are right.

Have you ever been confidently going around saying something only to find out you were wrong?

“Nothing is more terrible than ignorance in action” – Geothe

Here we learn that when misinformed people take action, they can do a lot of damage.  We are simply acting on bad, little or no information which can only make things worse.

Have you ever acted, even for a great cause, and later changed your opinion when you got more information?

On Ignorance

Many people use the word ignorant to mean “stupid”.  Of course, it doesn’t mean stupid, it means “unaware because of a lack of relevant information or knowledge”.    We are all ignorant of something.  In fact, there is so much to know about so many things these days, that we are ignorant of far more things than we are knowledgable of.

Even the most educated people are quite ignorant of many important things.

Here are a few quotes on the subject.

“The doorstep to the temple of wisdom is knowledge of our own ignorance” – C.H. Spurgeon

Spurgeon is telling us that we need to be aware we don’t know something to seek knowledge.  I would add we need to care also.

“The further one pursues knowledge, the less one knows.” – Lao Tzu

This quote from long ago sounds like the next one from author Louis L’Amour centuries later – 

“The more one learns the more he understands his ignorance.  I am simply an ignorant man trying to lessen his ignorance.”

Indeed, the more I learn, the more I realize I do not know, and the more hesitant I am to be certain of anything.

More on the subject tomorrow…

Can you admit your ignorance?

Boredom is your fault

It’s not the world’s job to entertain, excite or stimulate you.

Don’t be boring.

Get up and get after it.

Be like a postage stamp

I have been successful at a lot of things.  Yes, I have quit things I should not have started when I realized it.  But everything I have been successful at was difficult at some point – or maybe the whole way.  So difficulty alone is not a sign you should quit. 

There are lots of paradoxes – something that is true (in some situations) but not true (in others).  Here is one. 

In an age of so many choices and ways to use our time, and causes to commit to, pick a mission or a goal and stick to it.  The greater the goal the more difficult it will be and the longer it will take.  In that time, you will see so many other things you could be doing and be tempted to jump off this mission for another.  This job for that one.  This profession for another.  

Stick to one thing until you get there.  

By sticking to one thing you learn a lot and get better.  You pile one successful step on another and reach new heights.  If you go long, you can go far. 

Be like a postage stamp.  Stick to one thing until you get there.

Jealousy and Envy

If we are jealous or envious of others, we will never give them a chance.  Our ego hates it.  They are making it look bad.  We will look for how they are wrong, undeserving, and work to make them look bad and fail.

If someone is jealous or envious of us, they will never give us a chance.  Their ego hates it.  We are making their ego look bad.  They will look for how we are wrong, undeserving, and work to make us look bad and fail.

If we are the jealous or envious ones we have to do some deep emotional work, because it is us that has the disease.  Dis-ease.

If we have someone who is jealous and envious of us, we should stay away from these people as much as possible. 

What if everyone did that?

I am developing a hypothesis for determining what is right and what is wrong relative to civics.

I ask “What if everyone in the world did that?”  

If the answer is that civilization would collapse (or get worse), then it is wrong.  If the answer is the world would be a better place, it is right and good.

What if – 

everyone became a consumer only, and stop producing?

nobody paid taxes?

everyone was uncivil and violent?

everyone did drugs?

everyone cheated?

everyone was untrustworthy and unpredictable?

everyone was physically unfit?

nobody voted?

everyone voted without learning or understanding first?

everyone threw trash out the window?

nobody tried anything outside of their comfort zone?

everyone committed fraud?

everyone worked 20 years and retired because they can?

It seems like an easy test, and it seems like this test applys to other people.

But apply it to yourself when making decisions about whether to do this or that – would the world be a better place if everyone did this?

The never-changing nature of man

I am a man. 

We are, and always have been brutish, lazy, lustful gluttons; and lots of other not-so-nice things.  It’s how we are wired to survive. 

To rise above these natural qualities, we must be taught a code of character that we adopt as more important to us.  We must learn respect, honor, discipline, loyalty, courtesy, kindness, perseverance and thrift.  We must be taught how our bravery can be used not for violence, but to stand up against the obstacles when the great pursuits get hard and to speak up for what is right and against what is wrong.

Civility and progress is not inherent to man, otherwise, humanity would not have lived in such desperate squalor and violence for many thousands of years.  

We must learn and teach good character.  Examples of bad character are all around us.  Let us not allow them to take us back into desperation.

Talk to your kids.

Use it or lose it

“A lot of human potential is unrealized” – Michael Dell

If you don’t do anything different, what part of you will be unused when you are done here?

Right answers

Nobody goes around saying they are wrong.  They are right.  If they thought they weren’t right, they’d change their minds until they know they are right.

Right answers may change.

Today it’s right, but tomorrow it’s wrong based on new information or circumstances.

What’s right for me is not for you.  Or what is right for you is not right for me.  At least not now, of that I am sure…I think.

What’s right for me at age 20 is not right for me at age 30.  Or maybe at least not by age 40.

I think I am right.  I then, after experiencing and learning more, realize I was wrong.  I make a new opinion and now I think I am right….I think.

Aren’t I?

Well, I am….

I think.