Prelude to Paradox: Delusive Ignoramus

by Mayo de Moalmein

How does an immature ego try to stabilize itself? Why - by delusion and igno- rance of course. A deluded person is limited in his per- spective on life. this limita- tion is not the result of plain lack of information rather it is a defensive stratagem. He refuses to see anything which might threaten his identity so security is sought in blind- ness. The Ostrich with its head buried in the sand to avoid detection might be a better image for the igno- rant man. In his delusion, he takes refuge in a row world and ignores ev- erything outside it. He will not even look at the basic facts of life. One can some- times catch oneself using ig- norance as a defence. A

nar-

friend may draw one’s at- tention to unpleasant truth, perhaps about one’s motives or behaviour. One compre- hends what is being said but then, at the same moment, turns one’s mind away from it. This self-distraction is deliberate and is a manifes- tation of delusion. It also displays itself in the fixed view of life adopted by many who refuse to examine or acknowledge anything which lies outside the confines of what they presently think they know.

Ignorance does not al- ways show itself in overtly stupid or unintelligent be- haviour. It can be highly sophisticated and give rise, for instance, to very complex systems of thought. for igno-

rance is the basic poison, the root of roots. It is nothing less that our refusal to open ourselves to a wider sphere of reality. We know who we are, or we think we do. to more beyond ourselves is to step into the unknown which is deeply threatening to the ego. So we turn away, re- fusing to recognize the truth that was always there but which is now forcing itself upon our attention.

We delusion or ignorance in their raw forms. these usually hide This can be observed in a per- son talking in a polite and friendly way, while the set on his face and the way he holds his body reveal an underly- ing hostility or fear of which

seldom encounter

behind a polite veneer.

* fundamental

his is not himself fully aware. Often, if our contact with others threaten to bring such negative feel- ings into the open we break them off. In some people this can be observed quite eas- ily whilst in other more con- fident personalities it is too deeply buried, seldom show- ing since the person is so- cially so well adapted.

It is of great importance that we learn to recognize the ignorance and delusion within us so that we can stop them dominating our lives. Being with other people of- ten help since openly com- municating our thoughts and feelings to those we trust not only give emotional re-

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lief but helps us to perceive more clearly what we our- selves think and feel. Like

UPEI President Eliot once stated that his first les-

our

son as a Freshman was to find “courage to tell of my ig-

norance,”’

a very hard thing for a person to admit at any time. So should we all follow the same bright light at the end to the Educational Tun-

nel.

not al- ways show itself in overtly stupid or unintelligent be- haviour.

Ignorance does

To move our- the

deeply

beyond step which is

selves is to into unknown

threatening to the ego.

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