Copyright, 1951, by William Russell White PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA THE MEADOR PRESS, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS AG105 LEADERSHIP VOLUME II CHAPTER XV EDUCATION Ignorance respect for authority, custom, the sense of the ignorant crowd, and the vain proud unteachableness of our disposition Bacon's chief source of ignorance. ."-Roger "There is nothing makes a man suspect much more than to know little." -Sir Francis Bacon. " all history does show is that, except for the outcry of the few who the crowd term as alarmists, people are rarely conscious of trends which are, in mass, responses to influences of which they are unaware . ."-Palmer. Ignorance is a condition where knowledge is lacking; unawareness; benightment; uninformed. Ignorance has been divided into virgin, organic, congenital, temperamental, endemic, sectarian, systematic and specialized patterns; there are others such as inspired, doting, protective, pious, ecstatic or sublime, etc. Each has definite properties and structures, and even a system and force. The mental companions of ignorance are envy, harshness, cruelty, malice, prejudices, superstitions and intolerances. These are almost always under the undue and frightening influence of the boor and the brute. Often, ignorance is the basis of admiration, apprehension, fear, terror and tyrannical oppressions. Credulity is universal because ignorance has the highest birth rate-100%. This condition is counteracted only by individual experience, training and broad intensive education that seeks knowledge, truth, experience and skills. Primitive and savage man lived in ignorance. fear and terror: M717198 a slave to his past, present and the unpredictable future. Facts were few. Truth was unattainable. Cause and effect could not be accurately rationalized. In ancient times knowledge progressed slowly indeed. Conditions were little better during the Dark Ages. There was some improvement during the Middle Ages. Many of the ideas and concepts prevalent in 948 A. D. were distorted and inaccurate. Yet, some of the then allegedly educated people earnestly and boldly proclaimed that the sum of all knowledge was theirs! Conforming to public opinion and usage, they judged from experience and bias, as does mankind today. Think of the strange and uncouth habits and the obviously (to us) unwise traditions and customs that prevailed! The spiritual, mental, emotional and physical slaveries, serfdoms and tyrannies! The dirt and filth of non-existent sanitation! Frequent famines. Abounding plagues! All these were accepted as natural events, along with abject poverty, hunger and unspeakable depravities. Possibly, the people of 2947 A. D. will pity the present lack of knowledge and the current sporadic and sprawling attempts at social justice! France in 1789, Russia in 1917, Germany, Italy, together with their poor deluded satellite states and Japan in World War II, and Marxist-Leninism (communism) in 1949 are frightening examples of enslaved ignorance. There are dangerous strengths in ignorance, and always have been; frighteningly so in the powerful and deliberate ignorance of uninformed, vigorous intellects. Often, a dominant, ignorant personality is convinced that he has all needed knowledge on any given matter! Frequently, such ignoramuses pride themselves in ignoring information on affairs that were and are of no apparent present interest. So, prejudices, intolerances, persecutions and oppressions. The lives of illiterate and incurious men and women are limited and so common. To an educated, trained intelligence, mentally underdeveloped people appear confused and illogical. Vast are the differences between the ability to read and the capacity to understand. Even amongst persons who pass as intelligent, serious and well-read, there is woful ignorance regarding highly important matters, on which there are vast stores of accessible knowledge. Alas! |