Confucius (551 BC - 479 BC) said, "Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon and star." We can interpret this many ways and perhaps never come to a general consensus. Here is my interpretation: by remaining ignorant, knowledge is chained into a realm of darkness. We become blind to what is around us because knowledge is not there to offer us it's guidance just like the moon and stars would help us see when there is no light to guide us whilst lost in a deserted place.
Ignorance can no longer be used as an excuse. We cannot remain blind to the people around us. And the cure to this ignorance is simple research. Yes, research is a painstaking, disagreeable process for many. However, we have at our fingertips the ability to discover new information that we may find to be fascinating. Becoming knowledgeable is one of the many ways to combat ignorance especially about different cultures and living conditions.
And one of the biggest spreaders of ignorance happens to be the media. Today I read a very interesting blog about the misconceptions of the living conditions in Africa entitled WAKE UP WORLD!!! by biboz90. One of the points raised was that Westerners are under the impression that Africa is a place full of starving children, genocide, and all other nasty things (this is paraphrased) and that this view is supported by the media.
I agree with biboz90.
Media is continuing a cycle of ignorance that is leading to dangerous misconceptions. News broadcasts here in the United States are centered only on this country (which is very troubling) unlike the CBC and other broadcasting networks from different countries who do not focus as much on their own country. Even while speaking with my own parents I am confronted with ignorance of other cultures - views that have been fed by the media.
Sensationalized stories showing only one side - such as the doomsday reports after 9/11 - will not help bring about a moderately peaceful world. It only spreads antagonism towards other people and distortions of reality. Ignorance will not protect us; it will only inhibit our ability to move about in an increasingly smaller world. We cannot accept what the media feeds us. Those examples and those stories are not the only reality. Reality is a multifaceted crystal that can show us many things. Accept it, and look up facts that you do not know or something you want answered.
With research and knowledge I believe we can begin to understand each other, but first we have to confront the media's spread of ignorance.
What type of research do you mean? The type of research where you read acticles on certain subjects. Unfortunately To me that sounds like a form of media. I believe the only way to combat ignorance is to accept the fact that we are ignorant ,and it is through experience where we gain knowledge and insight. The main problem with people today is that they think they know enough; that they are complacent with the status quo.
once someone realizes they are ignorant then learning can begin. But don't believe everything i say. .........
I agree with you. To combat ignorance we must acknowledge that we are. However, I don't think that many people will realize it until they look into the things they are being told. There are a multitude of websites out there that are research databases. People actually look up information - essays, books, articles - and put them up on these websites. We use them in school all the time, and libraries also subscribe to them. Using them for recreational learning purposes would be a way of conducting this research and broadening our horizons.
Even going to your local library and picking up a book on Islam, for example. Many of us probably would not normally do that, but it we truly want to understand different religions we have to understand its doctrine. Scholarly research is another way to do that.
Experience is also a factor, but there are many different forms of experience.
“Tears may be dried up, but the heart – never.”
-Marguerite de Valois