I have mentioned this before but I thought I would quickly repeat it before I go to bed tonight.
When I think of smart people I know, I realize there is something they have in common. This thing is the admission of their ignorance. They realize how little they know despite the obvious fact that they are really intelligent.
So one could hypothesize that intelligence is the realization of one's ignorance. Or that being smart demonstrates to one's self how "unsmart" they are.
When you realize how little you really know, you finally begin to become truthfully smart or intelligent. People who think they know everything or close to everything, really are the dumb, ignorant ones.
These are thoughts in my head and I am curious what others think about it.
3 comments:
What a coincidence! I just listened to Diane Rehm interview Peter Berger about his book on doubt and how you should always consider the possibility that you might be mistaken.
It was about fanaticism and relativism - the two poles we should avoid, and the problem each one is in our society today. I think I'll read it.
Good point, Huey. Your dad's the smartest person I know, and he is just the way you describe about admitting possible ignorance.
funny...i was thinking of him and doug when I began writing this one.
sounds like an interesting book with an interesting theme. The point that doubting ourself too much is just as "ignorant" as thinking you "know it all" or that there is no possibility you may be wrong or may be missing something or don't know as much as you think you do.
Sweet.
I am so not smart. I don't know anything.
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