Ignorance

I quipped that Donald Trump gives ignorance a bad name. I should explain.

According to mirriam-webster.com, ignorance is a “lack of knowledge, education, awareness.” The transitive verb “ignore” implies refusal to “take notice of.”—Like I understand “transitive verbs,” right!

Ignorance is not necessarily a problem nor a disgrace. We are ignorant. Being expected to know everything would put each of us in a sorry state. In my view, however, much if not most human suffering has roots in ignorance.

Is the opposite of ignorance genius? Geniuses exhibit “a single strongly marked capacity or aptitude, extraordinary intellectual power especially as manifested in creative activity, a person endowed with extraordinary mental superiority.” Obvious geniuses exhibit superior insight and skill in mathematics, physics, philosophy, music, painting, sculpting, athletics, etc. Less notable geniuses may show extraordinary understanding and skill in teaching, auto mechanics, culinary art, carpentry, tailoring, piloting, entertaining, truck driving. Truck driving? Try maneuvering double-long eighteen wheelers down a ten-foot-wide lane, seventy miles an hour, in bumper-to-bumper traffic. If you get there, back ‘er into a loading dock.

Like “ignorance,” “genius,” may carry mistaken baggage.   Despite unique skill and brilliance, geniuses know they don’t know it all. I suspect most do not think of nor would they label themselves a “genius.”

Ironically, calling himself a “stable genius,” Donald Trump flaunts ignorance, giving it a bad rap. Again ironically, by elevating ignorance to an art form our President may exhibit a sort-of perverse genius!

The Really Big Question: Does Donald believe his rhetoric or lie? Either way we have a world-class tragedy rooted in the Oval Office.