Why Do Stupid People Think They Are So Smart?
This is an old philosophy question. It is not intended to be an insult but a serious issue. It actually takes quite an education to realize how much we do not know. We do not know what we do not know. This sounds like a joke but it is actually sobering. A small child cannot imagine the concept of square root, for example. They are just learning to add numbers. They have never heard the words “square root”. That idea does not exist in their minds. (Many of us adults are not too sure about it, either.) It is only when they have been taught the basic foundation of math and have been taught the concept of square root that they realize its existence. It is only then that they can begin their struggle with the concept. Before that point, it does not exist – in their universe.
How many other ideas, truths, and concepts are children unaware of? How much are we adults unaware of? True scientists wrestle with ideas that most of us do not know even exist. Yet it fills their careers and their dreams at night.
We don't know what we don't know.
I knew a man who was a Baptist pastor. He could not imagine why everyone did not want to be a Baptist. He went to South America as a missionary. Eventually, he aligned with a different denomination. He was not against any of his old Baptist beliefs. He just got to see the world as bigger than he first thought. He experienced the church world as being larger than he originally thought. After he was a member of a different group, he thought his old idea of everyone needing to be a Baptist was rather funny and laughed a little at himself. (I am not suggesting that Baptist theology is not good. Neither am I encouraging a new Christian to study errant ideas.)
Without cross-pollination, (that is, becoming familiar with ideas that are different from one's current ideas) there is no realization of how big the ocean of potential knowledge is.
I used to make deliveries to some Christian farming communes. These were interesting people. They were not allowed to have a radio or television. They could have a newspaper, but there was no way to obtain a newspaper. In this way, they could never be influenced by the “evil” world outside. I believe there would be some benefit in being isolated from a wicked society. But there was also a side effect that was never thought of.
They had no reference point for evil. They were so isolated, the only viewpoint they had was their own which, of course, was always the “right” way. Being almost perfectly isolated from the rest of the human society, which would be evil, they were left with their own opinion of things, which would be free from the evil influence of outsiders, thus perfectly true and right. As I said before, there would be some potential benefit but also much potential danger.
One day I was greatly delayed in my deliveries. When I came to their property it was about 9 P.M. It was already dark. I should have waited until the next day but I had live animals on board my truck. It could not wait. I found every man, woman, and child drunk out of their minds. A few of the men who could still stand up helped me to unload the animals. But at least they did not have any influence of those naughty outsiders to ruin their religious utopia.
Another of my fellow delivery workers was propositioned by the men. Evil is not really in a newspaper. It is resident in the human heart. Cross-pollination of ideas can lead us to destruction or it can open up new knowledge to us. We really are not able to live without the Words of God. It gives us access to absolute knowledge and understanding. The first sin of mankind was wanting to decide for ourselves what is right or wrong (Gen 2:17).
Humans can be so intelligent but never quite smart enough. A brilliant theologian may be very smart but cannot understand the simplest things that a child might point out. A great linguist may understand many languages. He may be able to notice a pattern of accent marks in an ancient tablet containing a long dead language but he misses the most obvious things. A four year old may be classified as highly intelligent but cannot learn how to poop. Young people have all the many advantages of youth but do not know their own gender.
The human being is so remarkable, yet something is wrong or missing. We are not what we were intended to be, in our natural state.
My daughter is a nurse. She cares for premature babies. She told me that a nurse needs continuing education. To have a know it all attitude is dangerous.
A persons stands ankle-deep in a kiddie pool. He can see the entire pool. He later stands ankle-deep in the ocean and thinks he understands everything. If made to look up, he will see the limitless ocean and realize he really is stupid. This is when a child becomes an adult. When a person realizes they have been operating with a piece and thought it was the whole.
An atheist shuts himself off from God's truth. He deliberately refuses a great part of knowledge. He assigns himself to stupidity.
An old person who knows it all has something wrong. They are genuinely stupid or something is wrong because of advanced age. He is returning to childhood where he “knows” everything. Their ocean is drying up and has become a kiddie pool again. God help us to acknowledge that any understanding we may have is because it has been granted to us. Help us not to shut off ourselves from understanding because of our stubbornness.
And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. (1Cor 8:2)
Sept 15, 2023