I have never think there is anything to be feared in ignorance as it sometimes turn out to be beneficial if the individual is sincerely ignorant and open minded. The world is a beautiful place with such people.
And there are categories of ignorancy that the world should not worry about and be safe around: One is a sincere ignorant individual who is unwilling to learn and does not have the ambition of influencing anyone with his conviction. Such individuals deprive no one of the desire to gain useful knowledge elsewhere and got enlightened. They adopt a "live and let live" personal philosophy. It is their chosen desire to remain in ignorance and stick to their personal creeds. It is their desire also to concede to you the right to hold yours as long as you do not suffocate them with sermons on why they are wrong. They are content with their ignorance and see no reason to upset their status quo. And most importantly they see no reason why they should impose their own creeds on anyone else. You will have fun around them and you will surely always go away with handshake and desire to return to their warm embrace.
Then you have the group of ignorant individuals who are willing to learn but it must be on their own term. And it must come without their having to lose personal dignity and self respect in your hands. And of course, they are not aiming at influencing others. They are only interested in developing themselves.
The most deadly and dangerous of the lot is the Educated Ignorant. The one side of proverbial three blind men who stubbornly insisted that his elephant is as hard as rock (just because his education at the point of contact with the elephant was at a spot where they touched the ivory). Once he made his "big discovery" he becomes pompous and confident that he cant be wrong and everyone else must embrace this "realistic knowledge" of his as the incontrovertible fact. The elephant is as hard as a rock, he would maintain and could even fight to uphold this viewpoint because as far as he is concerned, he has had firsthand Education and has "touched" an elephant before.
He has good reasons and indeed he was right in a way but his knowledge of the elephant is just a fraction of the entire reality.. He was able to touch to ivory which appear as hard as hard as rock. His personal experience (of coming closer to that side of Elephant) convinced him beyond doubt that elephant is a rocky creature . Those telling him that elephant has a softer side are not only ignorant in his eyes but very foolish. Because he is blind, he could not envision other people touching the animal or the larger picture. His inflated ego and half baked knowledge would therefore, encourage him to do everything in his power to hold on to his version of descriptions of elephant even when those who have eyes counter him. he just can't believe that there could be anything in Elephant that differs from his own side of knowledge.
He becomes even more dangerous if he is an influential figure among a selected group and is determined to spread his "knowledge" as the authentic narrative that should hold universal acceptance. And as such he and his likes often win converts among three categories of people: One - Those who hold him to level of invincibility because of his knowledge, charisma and oratorical prowess, Two- those who have never seen elephant before even though they have eyes but are content with "eyewitness (and hand-witness) account" even if the eyewitness is a blind megalomaniac, and Three- those who are equally blind and Ignorant or similarly educated ignorant with prejudiced knowledge and are in dire need of affiliating with a super hero whose words and thinking are regarded as indisputably sacrosanct.
This educated ignoramus is the deadliest specie of human kind. It is from among them that all world's confusion sprang from. It is from among them that religion fanaticism and schism became an extravagant art. One minute, they are awakening the multitude with a grand vision in the name something; and the next minute, many gullible folks are enchanted by the promises and ready to do anything to covet that illusory rewards. It is from among them that simple political process of election and change of power are complicated. It is from among them that all sort of propaganda sprang. It is from among them that seeds of hate, dangerous competition and divisions are sown. It is from among the that evil becomes good and rationalized....it is from among them that polity is heated up and society divided along ideological leaning.
They accomplished this bizarre power because of their "education" and their power of persuasion. And because they were able to gather large followers by exploiting the human psychology to propagate their ideals. Unfortunately, once they acquire enough followers they begin the journey of making it their birthright to convert and to induct as many folks as they can to their doctrine. Even those who are already in other groups are seduced to join. They spread their ideology and hence experience clashes among each other when a group become too stubborn and resist.
Whether in politics, Religion or social settings, these men are everywhere and they are the same. So powerful is the effect they have on their followers and victims that they could inspire violence, war and mass uprising either in civil disobedience or silent grumbling. You will find them everywhere. It is not their duty or my duty to teach you how to identify them and protect yourself. But it is your duty to preserve your purity, protect your mind against their attack. For theirs, often start as Ideological Warfare; A silent emotional romanticism of your mind, and then your soul and then your entire being come under their control and whatever platform they offer you to identify with. You, then, become a living domesticated cyborg!
Of course, many people would scoff at the idea that some Educated Ignorant individuals have taken them for a ride or that they are in the wrong. Timothy Leary was right when he said: "We are dealing with the best-educated generation in history. But they've got a brain dressed up with nowhere to go. "
Still wonder why the Educated Ignoramuses are dangerous when taken as Master of our world and our mind? The words of Dalai Lama is a good parting shoot from me: "Where ignorance is our master, there is no possibility of real peace.
"
I am @isqilnajim
I am @isqilnajim
No comments: