Being ignorant is not bad; ignorance is not something evil or anything to be ashamed of. Nobody knows everything about every topic under the sun. The problem with many educated Nagas is that we are ashamed to admit our ignorance on any subject. We think that once we have received a degree on a certain subject, or we know something about it, we have become the repository of all knowledge on everything, and we brook no dissent on our views from others, right or wrong.
I bring this up in connection with the views of some people who do not agree with my opinions that our various Dailies have been kind enough to publish. I am a novice in the art of debating/arguing on the internet; in my case, Facebook. For the first time ever, I realised that anyone could spew his opinions, wise or stupid, without any moderator; and to make matters worse, you couldn’t be sure if a person was operating under a real or assumed identity. But this experience has taught me that we Nagas have still a long way to go in creating awareness among people and in convincing others of the validity of the stands we take on various issues.
The first issue concerns, yours truly being accused of having/possessing ‘Google Knowledge’ by a couple of people on Fb. I guess they mean it in a derogatory sense. But I ask you, “How many Nagas have walked into a library, not your school, college or university library; but a real library containing books, magazines and newspapers on every topic in every genre?” I would advise those who haven’t to find one, walk into it and get a sense of what it feels like to be surrounded by hundreds of thousands of books. You’ll realise that what you so proudly claim to know is less than nothing in the ocean of knowledge. After having done that, picture all the libraries of the world in one place, under one roof and then you’ll have a slight idea of what the internet is; and that Google is the key to it. All the world’s knowledge is contained within the internet but it is only when you possess ‘Google Knowledge’ that you can access it. You have to know what you are searching for, if you know nothing, you get nothing from the internet. So, I am proud that I have ‘Google Knowledge’. The internet is more than Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social networking sites, more than for online shopping and can be used for better purposes than to surf for pornography.
The second issue concerns the comments and opinions posted and passed around the various sites on the internet. Unless you are operating under a false identity, you should be aware that every comment you pass brings you under the scrutiny of your fellow users. So your wisdom and insight or your stupidity and idiocy is there for all to see.
The third issue concerns posting differing opinions. A friend mentioned that my comments indicated my dislike for people who disagree with my opinions; but I beg to disagree. In any argument or debate it is common knowledge that the following take place:-
1. You put forth your opinions and views
2. You expect those who disagree with you to put forth their opinions.
3. Both of you defend your opinions or try to prove the other wrong, all the while maintaining logic and reason.
It is when a person blindly, without logic or reason, opposes the views or opinions of others, that ignorance becomes an obstacle. The person may be motivated by factors such as family, tribal loyalties, political affiliations or just simple bigotry. But in doing so, we leave the realm of ignorance and descend into the depths of idiocy; we close the door to awareness and enter a world of the blind leading the blind. God forbid that we Nagas ever set foot in that world.
