More than once, I found myself in an argument where I know not much about the subject. Arguments about politics, religion, History (especially the later 😊) and heard myself saying,’ please read and enlighten yourself’ to look better or win the argument by looking like a person who knows so much about the agenda.

I never wondered why I don’t really try to know about that subject; I guess it’s probably because there won’t be an opportunity for similar arguments where I will be in and win with knowledge, so what will really be the benefit for my reading anything if I can’t prove or show to other people that I know. I have observed symptoms of this ignorance in other people too.

And then one day, it just dawned on me, what if I say, ”Sorry, I don’t know much about this” would it be embarrassing? Would I be less valued by society? It should be evident to the people I argue with that I have as much knowledge as provided by Facebook. I have somehow read or mostly heard what our so-called activists had to say about that situation. I, too, have a religion, race, political opinion mainly derived from my family and the people I share the same background with. Most of our views and beliefs emerged from no research or facts; instead, passed on from family and society leaders.

So I started withdrawing myself from such futile arguments and activities. The more I abstained, the more I felt embarrassed by the people who still do it. What was I thinking really? What do the people who know so much about that subject feel when they read or hear my opinion that is not backed by knowledge or fact? I would never know because as the Bible says, ”The wise say very little, and those with understanding stay calm.”

Often, we know so little about many things, but most of the time, we are so sure with our views and swear that it is the only fact and that all other perspectives and opinions from other people are so wrong. There is so much power in thinking that  ”Maybe they too are right, maybe the fact is different, and they too have the truth, Maybe I am wrong,” and if we are somehow interested, we can also check facts, not from one source but multiple sources, unbiased experts and books. The more we become open-minded, the more we create a society that cares about understanding, not about being right or wrong.