Intransigence and High Horses

I'm as guilty as anyone, but here is what I find most boring about the human race: the way we project ourselves in a good light, all the time dismissing others, instead of presuming we might be wrong and talking about it. The way we believe, inherently, that we are always right.

This extends from personal relationships to international politics. As soon as someone or some country starts stressing how right they are, I start doubting them and wondering how they can be so sure and why they need to stress it so much.

We're all guilty, but the most guilty are the extremes.

And let's be honest. If you believe whole-heartedly that you are completely right in everything you do in life, you've put yourself up to the realm of the infallible. Doesn't matter whether you're left or right, believer or atheist. Once you climb on the high-horse, you stop thinking, stop communicating, and become intransigent. And once you become intransigent, you become boring.

Here's a philosophy. I think, therefore I may well be wrong. Others think, and are human too, therefore they may well be wrong too. Let's talk.

When you have time, try The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene, for a good, humble, understanding, non-ideological, no high horses, philosophy for life. Here's a book that demonstrates clearly that you can see beauty and common points in your most hated enemy, that we are all the same, and all worthy of love, and not in a doctrinal way.

I can't recommend this book enough, especially if you think you are always right in whatever it is you believe, and especially if you dismiss others because of that.

Posted by Setsunai at August 3, 2005 9:55 PM