My Thoughts
Have you ever tried to have a serious conversation with a know nothing true believer? You know, those who know what they know without knowing whether what they know to be true is even a distant relative to reality, or worst case, not knowing what they do not know but believing it, nevertheless. For the ones who so ardently believe they know the truth, no disprove is possible even though they have no proof to dislodge what they believe they know from the rocks in their heads. The odds of changing such minds are as likely as asking a mountain to move a bit to the right so you can have a better view of a sunset.
Back in the 19th century there was a short-lived (1853-1856) secret political organization in the U.S. referred to as the Know-nothing party whose members preserved its secrecy by denying its existence; when asked, they would insist they knew nothing of such an organization. While it was generally assumed to have been short-lived, it appears as though some remnant has managed to survive to the present day; there appear to be Know-nothings now walking among us. The difference this time around, the members really do “know nothing” but are incapable of admitting their know-nothingness. I heard someone not long ago say something that struck me as verification of the resurrection of a new Know-nothing party. He said, “We really do live in the dumbest of times. There will never be a dumber time. We have reached peak stupid. Collective IQs have gone down at least 30 points just in the last few months alone.” After thinking on it for a bit, I could not help but wonder how many points have we lost over the past four years?
Life is full of questions. That is just how it is, how it has always been, and likely how it will be from now until long past eternity. A whole lot of questions, never enough answers to suit everyone, to squarely fit their narratives. It used to be we searched and researched for answers by using our minds and our wits along with a whole lot of effort, discipline, imagination, creativity, and ingenuity thrown in for good measure. Now we just google it, but only if we absolutely must. Most of the time we just make it up and convince ourselves it is the gospel truth. Pretty soon we come to believe it, it becomes etched in stone, then there is no convincing otherwise.
Know-nothing membership is apparently growing exponentially, far surpassing the number of positive cases of coronavirus and quite possibly the number of “peaceful” protesters tearing down statues and burning churches. While Know-nothings still adamantly deny they know nothing, they can easily be identified for the one thing they claim with absolute certainty, and that is, who is to blame.
That a Know-nothing will refuse to suggest solutions to any problem is yet another sign, a badge of honor, to their membership. Whenever a Know-nothing blames someone or something for some foul deed or ill, any suggestion otherwise will surely go for naught.
Asking a Know-nothing to propose a solution is like asking a rooster to lay an egg, a futile exercise in productivity. Wake up America!
Just my thoughts for a Thursday, for what it is worth.
