Today I woke up in a mood. I am tired of encountering people who are willfully ignorant, people whose motto seems to be , “Don’t confuse me with the facts, I have all the answers (thanks to my mom for that phrase).” There is science and there is opinion. Science, is based on facts, opinion is based on make believe, wishing and, often willful ignorance, “A decision in bad faith to avoid becoming informed about something so as to avoid having to make undesirable decisions that such information might prompt.”
Willful ignorance is the adult equivalent of a child putting a finger in their ears and saying, “La, la, la I can’t hear you.” It stymies rational discussion. Humans, by nature are not rational, we have to work at it. We like to think we are rational, but we are not. Most of our decisions are based, not on facts, but on hidden beliefs, wishes, hopes, implicit and explicit biases, early childhood conditioning, cultural, religious and pop-culture notions, and a host of other things of which we are usually only dimly aware.
People ask me why I don’t eat meat. When I answer that it’s an ethical decision, the response I most often get is, “Oh, don’t tell me about how animals are mistreated. If I knew I couldn’t eat my hamburger.” That is willful ignorance. Now, don’t get your knickers in a twist, I’m not arguing everyone should be vegan, but what I am arguing is that before making a decision, analyze the factors going into that decision. Look at your biases, hidden beliefs and assumptions. Educate yourself. Be honest, especially with yourself. Read scientific journals, not Joe Bob’s website of amazing facts. Actual science is replicable and based on accumulated evidence and experimentation.
Today, analyze your beliefs. Think about your decisions and be honest about your motivations. The truth might just scare the you-know-what out of you.
louisetallen 