“A truly blind person is not one who cannot see but one who chooses not to.” ~Unknown
Despite unprecedented access to information, I am constantly disappointed by how many people demonstrate a combination of ignorance and arrogance.
I used to think that Americans had a patent on this blend of blind, passionate belief, but after traveling and living abroad, I now know that this dangerous cocktail can be found the world over. No matter the country, it’s easy to find ignorant, insular, prejudiced, archaic points of view, and people who believe everything they read in their newspapers or religious texts, and everything they hear on television or at church. This is not to say that the daily newspaper or nightly news doesn’t contain facts. It certainly does, but “fact” is not the same as “truth”.
“Archaeology is the search for fact…not truth. If it’s truth you’re looking for, Dr. Tyree’s philosophy class is right down the hall.” ~Indiana Jones, The Last Crusade
I’m not saying that religious texts don’t contain truth. They do. But religions can only point to the truth like signposts; they must not be taken to be the truth themselves.
“It’s like a finger pointing at the moon. Do not concentrate on the finger or you will miss all of the heavenly glory!” ~Bruce Lee, Enter the Dragon
Whether speaking of matters of fact or faith, those with the least information tend to argue most vehemently for their limited points of view, while those with the most often get lost in their knowledge and never act upon it. In our pursuit of scientific and spiritual truth, we must always question, confirm, and verify what we can, but then use what we’ve learned to better the world. Blind belief is no worse than apathetic inaction.
“The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world, the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.” ~Bertrand Russell
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