12 May 2009

The price of ignorance


I can't stand ignorant people. Let me make a distinction to clarify this statement. I define stupidity as not knowing something. I define ignorance as willful stupidity or choosing not to know.

I believe ignorance is created completely by fear. A racist does not like African-Americans or Latinos for no real reason, except they do not and do not want to understand them. When I say "understand them", I mean they don't want to accept they are just the same as you with a different color wrapper. They love, feel, strive, are happy and sad just like you. A sexist wants to feel superior to women because they fear what women can do. We both have equal capacity, but women can do things men can't and men can do thing women can't. This does not make on sex the "stronger sex". Guys, let it go. We need each other equally.

Now ignorant people intellectually know their view is not correct, but make the choice to ignore that intelligence. It's so gratifying when the ignorant person gives into intelligence and lets go of the fear.

It's my view that no one is "superior" to another person. A person can be superior in a skill, in intellect or wealth. But that does not make you superior to the person.

We can only solve our local, national and global problem by getting past this fear and using our intelligence the way it was meant to be used. Otherwise, we'll focus our attention of things that don't matter while we neglect the things that do matter and end up destroying ourselves.

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