Stopping illegal immigration would mean that wages would have to rise to a level where Americans would want the jobs currently taken by illegal aliens.
Thomas SowellRead
People used to say, "Ignorance is no excuse." Today, ignorance is no problem. After all, you have "a right to your own opinion" - and self-esteem to boot.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote critiques the modern tendency to prioritize personal opinion over facts, suggesting that ignorance is now often tolerated.
Thomas Sowell's quote reflects on the evolution of societal attitudes towards ignorance and knowledge. He points out that whereas ignorance was once considered a flaw that could not be excused, contemporary culture seems to celebrate personal opinionsβeven if they are uninformed. This shift indicates a prioritization of self-esteem and individual perspective over objective truth, leading to a potential decline in critical thinking and accountability.
Themes
IgnoranceOpinionSelf-EsteemTruthKnowledge
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about climate change, you might say, 'Remember, ignorance is no excuse.'
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One of the reasons for conspiracy theories is an assumption that people in high places always know what they are doing. When they do something that makes no sense, devious reasons are imagined by conspiracy theorists, when in fact it may be due to plain old ignorance and incompetence.
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You will never understand bureaucracies until you understand that for bureaucrats procedure is everything and outcomes are nothing.
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The real problem, both in discussions of mass shootings and in discussions of gun control, is that too many people are too committed to a vision to allow mere facts to interfere with their beliefs, and the sense of superiority that those beliefs give them.
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Why is history important? Without history, many people have no idea how many of today's half-baked ideas have been tried, again and again - and have repeatedly led to disaster. Most of these ideas are not new. They are just being recycled with re-treaded rhetoric.
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