Ignorance and Arrogance

… are often common bedfellows.

This morning I sit in a coffee shop.  I wanted to listen to the State of the Union (SOTU) address and started to.

The person sitting next to me made some comment, which I didn’t hear with my ear buds in and video playing, so I stopped the video and asked what he’d said.  He said something about ignorance concerning the SOTU, something to do with “investigation”.  I wasn’t very far into the SOTU so didn’t know what he was referring to so asked if he was talking about the Mueller investigation.  Yep.

Frankly, the first thing out of my mouth should have been along these lines: “Really?  You’re looking at what’s on my computer screen… then have the audacity to comment on it?!  So now, can I see what’s on your computer screen?”  *shaking head*

I said, “You do know don’t you that Mueller, Obama and Clinton were the REAL Russian conspiracy?”  I watched the energetic brick wall go up on him.  I’ll just bet he’s got a problem with a wall at the U.S. southern border, but boy oh boy did that wall fly up between him and his fellow human… because of a difference of perspective.

I said, “Do you even know about the Uranium One deal?”  (said brick wall now getting mortared) I then went on to say, “Do you even know about the global cabal?”

“Ok, we’re done”, he says.

I said, “Look up ‘Uranium One’. ”

He starts to protest me even talking to him now…

I said, “Your ignorance is showing.  Tuck that in, nobody needs to see that.  I’ll turn away while you tuck that in.”  *covering my eyes*

I put my ear buds back on.  But nope, I tweren’t done yet.  I pull the buds back off.

I said, “Can I give you some advice?”

He starts protesting more (me thinks he doth protest too much) saying he’s done, he gets it, blah, blah, woof, woof.  Ya know how they want to just talk over you.  They think they “win” somehow if they don’t let you talk… ‘cuz you know, the Truth is determined by who can talk the most or the loudest.

I said, “No, just one line… (and insisted) … how’s about you accept the fact that the next person just might know something you don’t.”  (Thank you Jordan Peterson for that line.)

“How’s about YOU accept that?”, he says.

I said, “I do.  That’s why I know as much as I do, I keep my mind and heart open to information.”

I could have gone on to say what you should be able to infer and that is… he was NOT open to a different perspective.  As soon as he saw I was not in utter agreement with him he shut me out.  Done.  I, on the other hand, would have been quite happy to have a civilized conversation with him about this, but he closed me out.  I often do have civilized conversations with people who do not agree with me or know what I know, but they do demonstrate that they can manage a peaceful discussion.  Some of them even vow to go look some things up, ya know, actually do their own research when someone turns them onto something they are not aware of.

Not this guy.  Frickin’ Walking Zombie anyway.

Reminds me of what cellular biologist Bruce Lipton said about both humans and the cells that make up human bodies – one cannot be both open and closed at the same time (and can’t both move towards and move away from something at the same time).

He keeps trying to make me not talk to him.  Ah dude, I didn’t start talking to you!  You started this, but I’m about to finish it.

I said, “No, you had the audacity to just ASSUME that the person sitting next to you was just another programmed robot who hated Trump…”

“I get it, you’ve said enough…”

“And your ASSUMPTION spoke volumes so I’m just responding to it.”

“You didn’t have to say ‘ignorant’…”, he says.  Note, he was the first one to use that word, in the very first thing he said.

I said, “What’s wrong with ‘ignorant‘?  It just means you don’t know something.  It’s NOT even an insult.”

(Since he took insult to it when it was applied to him, he himself obviously DOES mean insult when he uses that term towards others.  Fine and well, but OMG don’t use it towards him.  *yawn*)

He couldn’t gather his things up fast enough and get the hell outta Dodge.

Good riddance… and don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

Nope, can’t be both open and closed at the same time.  Like the old disempowering program that Michael Tsarion refers to – “teacher = threat”.  If every time a “teacher”, be it a person or an experience, shows up and you perceive it as a “threat” then you’re closing yourself off from learning.  Why would you do that TO YOURSELF.  It’s not hurting the next person any that you shut them out.  “Tootles!  Come back sometime when we can talk longer.”