We, the Ignorant
Wednesday, April 30th, 2014
It’s difficult to deal with the sheer volume of ignorance in the World. Like a lot of people, I struggle with the hard graft of tolerating idiots. But, when you think about it, ignorance (and to a degree idiocy) makes us very human.
We’re skimmers by nature. We’re hard-wired towards pattern recognition and our minds like to fill in gaps between the things we do (or think we do) know and the wilderness of uncertainty of those (most of the Universe) that we don’t.
Ignorance really stands out when someone says something about sugar causing diabetes, for example. Or not understanding there are two types of diabetes… or, more precisely, lots of types of diabetes that we’ve generally lumped into two categories of Type 1 and Type 2.
Until it happens to you there’s the bliss of ignorance, as I’m told. Ignorance lets us sleep soundly… and often sees us saying dumb things to people who aren’t as ignorant on that specific subject.
I had a malignant melanoma removed in 2010. Do you know how many people tell me that they had a melanoma removed – but they really mean a harmless bit of sun damage? Lots. They don’t understand anything beyond the cliche marketing about slip, slop, slap and be careful in the sunshine. I’m told by a skin specialist that it isn’t the first melanoma that kills us… it’s the second or third. I envy the ignorance of somebody who hasn’t had melanoma enter their life.