The Wrong Conclusion

It isn’t stupidity.

I know that I am intelligent, because I know that I know nothing." ~ Socrates

That’s probably my favorite Socrates quote. I boil it down to:

I don’t know what I don’t know.

The ability to not only discover one’s ignorance, but to then have the explorer’s courage to step into that unknown part of our brains with just the illumination of a small candle, if that is all that is available, is what I hope awakens every school age generation.

Living in ignorance is a horrible alternative because it invites incredible chronic suffering, which we then blame on others because we don’t know what else to do.

Perhaps these poor young people went home and decided to find answers to the questions they were either not taught or decided at the time not worth learning.

I hope so.

Our school systems have failed those in this clip.

Likely their attention was focused elsewhere; like on relationships with peers as ignorant as they; or on entertainment designed to keep them distracted; or perhaps drugs that help them escape, either briefly or permanently, the meaninglessness of shriveled lives.

What they, and we, need most are true friends to encourage us to move past ignorance and awaken our innate curiosity as the best way out of boredom.

And how might we spot such potential friends and mentors?

Look for those displaying childlike wonder and contentment.

They show signs of knowing something worth exploring.

One more quote.

I can’t resist.

"Most people, including ourselves, live in a world of relative ignorance. We are even comfortable with that ignorance, because it is all we know. When we first start facing truth, the process may be frightening, and many people run back to their old lives. But if you continue to seek truth, you will eventually be able to handle it better. In fact, you want more! It's true that many people around you now may think you are weird or even a danger to society, but you don't care. Once you've tasted the truth, you won't ever want to go back to being ignorant"

~ Socrates