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posted ago by MW_Freedom ago by MW_Freedom +25 / -0

I'll always remember my first day in my freshman economics class in college. The professor was the long-time chairman of the entire Finance and Accounting Department. He wasn't particularly physically imposing, but everyone loved and respected him and he genuinely cared about his students. Everyone listened when he spoke. Many years later I remember only some of the economics principles, but I'll never forget the very first thing he said on the first day of class.

It was this:

"There are four types of people in the world. There are those that know and know not that they know - they are asleep, awakening them. There are those that know not and know that they know not - they are students, teach them. There are those that know and know that they know - they are wise, follow them. Then there are those that know not and know not that they know not - they are fools, shun them."

For some reason I thought of that today while listening to Colin Cowherd. Generally speaking I think he falls in the "wise" category with many (not all) of his sports takes. Then there is his take on the vaccine. Arrogant people just seem to be prone to blind spots. He mocks Aron Rogers about the vaccine and mocks anyone in general who warns against them with things like "get the facts from (fill in the blank government website), not Joe Smoe on Reddit". He completely dismisses that there may be legitimate knowledge to be found that challenges his absolute (but clueless in reality) assumptions about what he "knows" about vaccines.

Just because someone you know can be wise about many things, arrogance can create a very dangerous blind spot. I thought some pedes here might relate to this with people they know and also might enjoy the saying from my professor.