GIJ Politics The Omniscient Ignoramus

“It is good to rub and polish our minds against that of others.”
-Michel Eyquem de Montaigne.
IV. The Omniscient Ignoramus
The title for this piece is intentionally contradictory. How can someone who is truly all-knowing be an ignoramus at the same time? The answer is simple: Pride. The typical student politician in GIJ would rather hug a naked ECG transformer than admit he or she is wrong. For the likes of such, to say 'I was wrong' or ‘I don’t know’ is the apex of all embarrassment - a puzzle I have never understood.

In a battle of ideas, they resort to all manner of justifications, pile up excuses and insults -if need be- to prove that they are right. When their excuses run thin they run to the fallacious cliché that there is no absolute truth. My eternal response has been to ask if that statement in itself is absolutely true. That almost always settles the matter but let me not bore you with philosophy.

Exposition:
Socrates said, and I believe, that the only true wisdom is in knowing that you know nothing. Being humble about our knowledge is common sense because what we don’t know and can’t do far exceeds what we know and can do. Sadly, I have witnessed repeatedly how people who tried, in good faith, to correct the student politician’s faulty logic, mistaken concept or plain ignorance have been subjected to all sort of scathing abuses and vilification. I would not be surprised in the least if this essay is greeted with similar reception instead of introspection. Usually, this behaviour is latent but the most brazen is often demonstrated before or during the heat of elections. 

Dr. John Lennox of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) summed up one of the best pieces of advice on this subject when he said that “saying you don’t know is one of the most important things to learn because the worst conceivable impression we can give ourselves is that we know everything.” 

Exception:
Being assertive; expressing our opinions strongly and with confidence is not wrong. But, to assert that confidence in error and resist admission of that error in the face of clear evidence to the contrary is the mark of narrow-mindedness. Unchecked, Unquestioned and Unaddressed, we can all imagine the effect such 'leadership' tomorrow. 

Comments

  1. Unknown26 January 2019 at 11:18

    This piece is highly loaded with Wells of discoveries and absolute knowledge.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Unknown26 January 2019 at 11:19

    This piece is highly loaded with Wells of discoveries and absolute knowledge.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Henry Dongotey26 January 2019 at 23:58

    Great!
    Our literature students can take: omniscient ignoramus" as an excellent use of oxymoron.
    In the light of darkness, our senses seem to preach to us we are better of in our own selves than falling on counsel. Accepting one does not know and wants to be thought alone is a greater achievement of knowing than not knowing and not accepting of not knowing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Epic Prince27 January 2019 at 10:47

      Classical Dongotey. Thanks for the feedback, Bro.

      Delete

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