How do you get through to the ignorant ?

I've been thinking about this for a while.

I have some beliefs which are non mainstream, yet always expanding. I try to keep an open mind yet sometimes I will latch onto an idea and won't let it go. Obviously this is a mechanical reflex of my ego trying to identify with my beliefs. If I change my belief I am weak, or so the thought processes go.

I think the world is in need of some serious revolution. I am not talking about a violent revolution - but most definitely a psychological one, and in my opinion a spiritual one as well. There is no doubt that the way things work right now, all over this planet is wrong. I am sure many of you would agree. I won't go into all of it, but this is just one example of how morally bankrupted our societies have become: THERE IS ENOUGH FOOD ON EARTH TO FEED EVERYONE. What else can I say.

But it always does come back to ignorance, and control, which evidently is held by ignorant people in most cases.

If the goal was to make a world a better place, the first thing we would have to do is educate everyone on the problems. It's at this first step where the difficulty arises. People don't want to listen. People cling to what they believe relentlessly. Not all people, but too many. Ignorance (Lat. in, not, and gnarus, knowing)... not knowing. I guess that definition also should include, stubbornness and an unwillingness to open one's mind to new ideas.

How do you get through to someone who is ignorant?


[edit on 2-12-2005 by John bull 1]

I have learnt to just not bother. I know that is not the answer you're looking for but it is just my opinion and what I have learnt.

Knowing in myself is satisfying enough for me

Grab em by the back of the neck and bash their head against the wall two or three times. You'd be amazed what they'll listen to when they're sitting on the ground dazed.


Yes, I WAS joking for the record.

You do it with love, faith, kindness, prudence, temperance, courage, justice, assertiveness, caring, cleanliness, commitment, compassion, confidence, consideration, cooperation, courage, courtesy, creativity, detachment, determination, diligence, enthusiasm, excellence, flexibility, forgiveness, friendliness, generosity, gentleness, helpfulness, honesty, honor, humility, idealism, integrity, joyfulness, kindness, loyalty, moderation, modesty, orderliness, patience, peacefulness, perseverance, purposefulness, reliability, respect, responsibility, self-discipline, service, tact, thankfulness, tolerance, trust, trustworthiness, truthfulness, understanding, unity.

I have found that by doing one or a combination of the above, a variety of goals can be obtained, including that which you seek an answer for:
How do you get through to the Ignorant?






seekerof

Wow... try to inspire debate and all the comedians come out

Hmmn, I wonder if there are other solutions? As fun as bashing a head in might be, you do run the risk of retaliation on a later date.

Not wasting your time on them doesn't really help the problem, just creates more division (the I-am-smarter-then-you complex).

Originally posted by Seekerof
You do it with love, faith, kindness, prudence, temperance, courage, justice, assertiveness, caring, cleanliness, commitment, compassion, confidence, consideration, cooperation, courage, courtesy, creativity, detachment, determination, diligence, enthusiasm, excellence, flexibility, forgiveness, friendliness, generosity, gentleness, helpfulness, honesty, honor, humility, idealism, integrity, joyfulness, kindness, loyalty, moderation, modesty, orderliness, patience, peacefulness, perseverance, purposefulness, reliability, respect, responsibility, self-discipline, service, tact, thankfulness, tolerance, trust, trustworthiness, truthfulness, understanding, unity.

That's more like it.

Seekof - Great answer.

You always do attract more flies with honey then with vinegar.

Be nice to ignorant people, that's pretty radical though!!

I've tried, and tried, and tried. No matter what I do it ends up with ME bashing my head against a wall. It's either "Don't let your facts get in the way of my opinion" or "Alex Jones and Prisonplanet say this so it MUST be right."

I think this was a great post. Of course it's BTS and the humor does fly here, but I can appreciate the serious point you are making.

We have always had diversity in some fashion, but slowly that gap is coming down. A huge method (and leap forward) in the "global" learning effort is actually the internet (including ATS). There is a much smaller geographic separation between continents, nations, states, provinces, territories, kingdoms, cities, towns, etc which now have instant communication and information on anything right at their fingertips.

That has been a huge step toward the "global" education.

You have voted Seekerof for the Way Above Top Secret award. You have two more votes this month.

SeekerOf

You do it with love, faith, kindness, prudence, temperance, courage, justice, assertiveness, caring, cleanliness, commitment, compassion, confidence, consideration, cooperation, courage, courtesy, creativity, detachment, determination, diligence, enthusiasm, excellence, flexibility, forgiveness, friendliness, generosity, gentleness, helpfulness, honesty, honor, humility, idealism, integrity, joyfulness, kindness, loyalty, moderation, modesty, orderliness, patience, peacefulness, perseverance, purposefulness, reliability, respect, responsibility, self-discipline, service, tact, thankfulness, tolerance, trust, trustworthiness, truthfulness, understanding, unity.

I have found that by doing one or a combination of the above, a variety of goals can be obtained, including that which you seek an answer for:
How do you get through to the Ignorant?

The aforementioned approaches when applied to the situation/topic at hand in a persistant manner to perpetuate the need/desire for awareness to the world around you/them will ultimately achieve enlightenment. To what extent depends upon their concern for such.




robinm ...

Ignorance is not being aware of.

Stupidity, on the other hand, is being aware of but doing so anyway.

Some men just can't be reached?! :shk:

Peace2All

I often confuse ignorance with ideology.

It is impossible to make people understand their ignorance,for it requires knowledge to perceive it: and, therefore he that can perceive hath it not.
Jeremy Taylor

Originally posted by whaaa
I often confuse ignorance with ideology.

It is impossible to make people understand their ignorance,for it requires knowledge to perceive it: and, therefore he that can perceive hath it not.
Jeremy Taylor

I have no idea who Jeremy Taylor is, but I have to disagree. I think he's a bit ignorant! or is it brilliant?!

I think you CAN make people aware of their ignorance. It happens every day. So many people were ignorant to the fact that Africa was in great turmoil with the AIDS crisis, but Live 8 made more people aware of what was happening. Yes it is sad that a bunch of rock bands are leading the charge in creating awareness, but hey, at least they are creating awareness. No, Africa's problem won't be solved overnight, but at some rate they recieved more help, and now governments are talking more about this situation.

So can you rise above ignorance? Yes, I think you can, but it takes something to move you, to inspire you, to do so in most cases.



[edit on 2-12-2005 by robinm]

You can get through to people, and get past it, but they have to be willing to accept and want to get past it. A lot of people are convinced that they are right about what they believe, and won't let anyone tell them they're not. THAT is the hard part.

The question is bad.

Really.

For every person you and I think is ignorant, there are people who think we are ignorant. Just because some people don’t get what you are trying to explain or imply, doesn’t mean they are ignorant. They very well may totally understand you, but its you who cannot get their reaction or understand them. And vice versa for sure.


I have learned its best to either deal with their "ignorance" by trying to understand the others point of view first, I mean really stop and think about what they are trying to say. Then if you truly feel that they will never get you or your point, either remove yourself from the equation or simply deal with it.

Originally posted by skippytjc
The question is bad.

Really.

So if I disagree with you am I ignorant to you? Maybe you think I think YOU are ignorant, because you disagree with me. Not the case. I think it is a good question. I don't think any one person is "better" then anyone else, but if you translate the word "ignorance" into "education", it may have more validity.

For every person you and I think is ignorant, there are people who think we are ignorant. Just because some people don’t get what you are trying to explain or imply, doesn’t mean they are ignorant. They very well may totally understand you, but its you who cannot get their reaction or understand them. And vice versa for sure.

Let me put it to you this way. You believe that the sun revolves around the earth. Because I have taken a science class and I have more information, I know that that you are misinformed, under-educated, or IGNORANT. All I am saying is there is a lot of FACTUAL information out there that people aren't paying attention to. How do you get through to a person who doesn't want to believe that the earth revolves around the sun? That should clarify what tangent I am on here.

I have learned its best to either deal with their "ignorance" by trying to understand the others point of view first, I mean really stop and think about what they are trying to say. Then if you truly feel that they will never get you or your point, either remove yourself from the equation or simply deal with it.

I agree with this. It's the key to any true communication, empathize. What do you mean "deal with it"?