There are all sorts of quotes & recommendations to stay young, to be curious, to not fear the unknown, to not be afraid of asking questions like a child, to not fear the disapproval of others, etc. This is because truly learning something new always involves feeling stupid, & any profound truth is almost always attacked before it is accepted. So those who resist uncertainty or discomfort will simply stop learning.

There are some people (usually academics) who will work tirelessly to avoid having to acknowledge anything that makes them feel stupid, because they went to lots of school in order to avoid ever having to feel that way again. Often they have had certain concepts planted into their mind with ridicule & manipulation & abuse rather than any sort of deep or thorough explanation. What little explanation is ever provided is generally meant to obfuscate rather than clarify. So these people generally confuse perceived authority or social status, & institutional "consensus," with understanding & truth. As a result, they primarily attempt to attack & belittle & even coerce some sort of submission out of anyone who disagrees, rather than to actually explain anything themselves.

Govt & university authorities have basically become the clergy in a religion called "the science," which actually involves almost no science at all.

#school #authority #science #religion