The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.--Bertrand Russell
We bloggers can come across as people with strong opinions and therefore, apparent certainty. For all but the most egotistical, it's not the case. Indeed, I'm not actually certain of this line of thought, but I'll run with it.
It used to be that the fools and fanatics were the fringe dwellers. Depending upon your own views, scorn would be summarily heaped upon the religious fanatics, the extreme racists, the overt capitalists, the zealous communists, and both liberals and conservatives were good for a small contribution from their fringe dwellers.
And don't get me wrong - we still have our stereotypes that play true to form. But times, they are a-changing, and the more dangerous fools and fanatics hide well. They are particularly adept at crying wolf and pointing to the wolf. The wolves, in their sheeps clothing, pointing to the sheep in his armour of wolf hide.
The fools and fanatics we must worry about no longer inhabit the fringes. They dwell among us.
I was going to point the finger at the next wave of idiot savant (the turn of phrase, not the blogger) but overcome with sudden self doubt, I shall remain silent. Think of me what you will, but the more definite you are, the more I may just prove my point.
"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts."
ReplyDeleteand the rest are too damn lazy to find out for themselves. Nice quote.
One of my favourite quotes.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. IMO the internet has concentrated all the extremists in one place - people say 'it's just idiots in their pj's in the basment', but when you get a lot of those people feeding off each other and enabling each other you get a level of intolerance that is off the richter scale.
Here's another Russell quote for you:
ReplyDelete"The essence of the Liberal outlook lies not in what opinions are held, but in how they are held: instead of being held dogmatically, they are held tentatively, and with a consciousness that new evidence may at any moment lead to their abandonment." -Bertrand Russell
Hmm, interesting. I must say I'm a little surprised to see such a fondness for Russell here given that he's one of the preeminent atheists and freethinkers of the 20th century, but its a welcome surprise and maybe I'm just too hasty. Still love this though
ReplyDelete"Judicially pronounced unworthy to be Professor of Philosophy at the College of the City of New York"
A related quote: Knowledge is proud it knows so much, wisdom is humble it knows so little.
ReplyDeleteI may not have that word perfect and I don;'t know to whom I should attribute it - it was written over the door of one of my high school classrooms.
Very good post. It is wise to listen to others and not jump to conclusions.
ReplyDeleteProverbs 13:10
"By insolence comes nothing but strife,
but with those who take advice is wisdom."
It is so easy to post online that it can be tempting to post too fast and put up something stupid without listening to enough advice first. However wise what you say is if there is something stupid in in then the whole thing can be ruined. And I certainly aren't accusing anyone else of this because I can be just as guilty of it myself sometimes.
Ecclesiastes 10:1
"Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a stench;
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honour."