I am often struck by the impact of a phrase or quote in giving clarity to the way I think about and analyze the world around me. Anyone who knows me well would tell you that the following quote, taken from a lecture in a Behavioral Sciences class I took at Berea College as a senior in high school, has shaped the way I approach the world:
“It is better to understand those things you don’t believe in than to believe in those things you don’t understand.” -Dave Porter
Read it once or twice more. It’s so true, isn’t it? It is better to understand someone or something– be it a religion or cultural practice or theory– even if we don’t believe it, than to believe in a stereotype or image of the same without a true understanding of its meaning. I am reminded of the popular press’ portrayal of Islam in recent media coverage, and of the discrimination Muslims face out of ignorance about their religious practices and beliefs and, furthermore, their own association with and opinions about extremist groups. It would be better for us to understand Islam, even if we do not subscribe to the religion, than to believe in the press’ story of Muslims as one extremist group of people.
Another quote I ran across in a reading recently has also been on my mind:
“Ways I had been taught to think about the problem subsequently proved to be the greatest obstacle to understanding” -Jeffrey Race, War Comes to Long An: Revolutionary Conflict in a Vietnamese Province, Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1972, pp ix-x.
How many times does our own previous understanding of an idea or concept prevent us from opening our minds to new ways of thinking? Is preserving our ego or sense or righteousness really worth the lost opportunity to learn something new or to think about an issue in a new light? As I am immersed in new theories this semester that oppose the way I have been taught to think about the world– and development in particular– this quote is an important reminder that I can be my own obstacle to learning. It is my responsibility as a student to reduce this obstacle in whatever way possible.
bagnoli 