Why is it that no-one has ever said to me (paraphrasing Bill Bryson), "You've never read the Symposium ?! You must read it at once ! Here, take my car !". I mean here's a snippet, which is so close as makes no difference - it's the Dunning-Kruger effect about 23 centuries early :
"No one who is ignorant will love wisdom, either, or want to become wise. For what's especially difficult about being ignorant is that you are content with yourself, even though you're neither beautiful not good nor intelligent. If you don't think you need anything, of course you won't want what you don't think you need."
When corrected on a misconception, there are those that take it as an affront to their ego, and there are those that welcome it as an opportunity to learn something.
ReplyDeleteThis tendency appears to be engrained during childhood, and can't be changed without significant effort on the part of the individual.
Heh: Apology "There is actually a Parian philosopher residing in Athens, of whom I have heard; and I came to hear of him in this way: - I met a man who has spent a world of money on the Sophists, Callias the son of Hipponicus, and knowing that he had sons, I asked him: "Callias," I said, "if your two sons were foals or calves, there would be no difficulty in finding someone to put over them; we should hire a trainer of horses or a farmer probably who would improve and perfect them in their own proper virtue and excellence; but as they are human beings, whom are you thinking of placing over them? Is there anyone who understands human and political virtue? You must have thought about this as you have sons; is there anyone?" "There is," he said. "Who is he?" said I, "and of what country? and what does he charge?" "Evenus the Parian," he replied; "he is the man, and his charge is five minae." Happy is Evenus, I said to myself, if he really has this wisdom, and teaches at such a modest charge. Had I the same, I should have been very proud and conceited; but the truth is that I have no knowledge of the kind. "
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