6 posts shown.
Dennis Rogers6 said:That’s exactly my point 🙂
(The question was purely rhetorical, because obviously they are)
Ignorant people don't do what they're naturally supposed to do—which is work on themselves.
I mean, learning is a lifelong thing and we're all a little clueless in one way or another, I guess. But I think we're talking about a specific kind of ignorance here; the kind where people aren't even trying to figure things out.
Brenda Cook4 said:The real mystery is how we ended up believing this "truth," because it feels completely backwards compared to what we see every day. I mean, look around—the planet is basically drowning in clutter and people obsessed with collecting things.
It makes me wonder: would we actually be happier if "simplicity" and being free from all this material weight was actually our true nature?
So, you're saying both modesty and freedom from possessions are essentially innate to humans.
We see it all the time—there are people who compulsively hoard material goods, and then there are those who die in total poverty only for someone to find massive stacks of cash hidden under their mattress. In my view, both types are just products of poor upbringing. They're just uninformed, I suppose.
Edward Flores4 said:It’s a real shame that so many corporate giants haven't taken those findings to heart—or maybe they just choose to ignore them—because the way the world operates seems to back up Louis's point about selfishness being hardwired. Now, that doesn't mean selfishness is "good" or "productive," per se, but it really is this deep-seated, instinctive reflex rooted in self-preservation that shows up in how we act. Even parenting can be seen as a form of selfishness that could theoretically be neutralized in a different kind of society (which has happened throughout history), but when you're living in an ultra-competitive environment, being selfish becomes the only viable strategy for raising kids successfully.
What you're describing—that shift toward generosity—can really only happen once our collective perception expands, once we start seeing the deeper cause-and-effect ripples within our ecosystem, or perhaps through some kind of spontaneous, overwhelming moment of clarity.
A competitive environment is basically a sick one—it's either broken or it's run by people who don't know what they're doing. Sure, humanity was in a much more ignorant state in its earlier stages, and I guess that kind of "survival of the fittest" atmosphere was necessary back then. But today? There isn't really a reason for it to persist. There's no excuse for why we can't reach that "expansion of perception" you mentioned, Edward Flores4.
It’s just what a healthy individual does instinctively!
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I might pick a different way to describe them... but I suppose the core question remains the same.
Is "ignorance" actually a natural phenomenon?
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Personally, I’d argue that every single person—every human being—is naturally wired to give, to gift, and to help others. And honestly, it’s not even just my opinion; science backs this up. It turns out that people who feel fulfilled live longer, and usually, that fulfillment comes from feeling like they actually contribute something useful to society.
Besides, everyone has this innate, natural drive to learn and to gain knowledge. So, if you think about it, being willfully ignorant isn't really part of our nature at all.
When you look at physical integrity, I guess you have to admit that selfishness is just baked into our DNA. Everything living in this material world instinctively tries to keep its own physical form intact and whole. 🙂
Of course, we see people sacrifice themselves physically for someone else all the time—but that’s not the default setting. That takes a massive, conscious effort, or what most people would call actual courage.
On the flip side, giving of yourself spiritually or handing out material goods to others? That’s actually pretty easy. Honestly, for any healthy person, it can even feel quite pleasant.
Louis, you’re basically saying that selfishness is just part of our nature, right? That we should just accept it.
I don't know, I can't say I agree with that. I feel like only people who don't really get life think that the whole point of existing is just hoarding stuff and owning things.
Even scientific studies—like, actual experiments—have shown that people are actually way happier when they pick up a little something for someone else, even if it's just some small thing, compared to blowing a ton of money on something expensive for themselves.