Daily Meditation: Saturday, October 23, 2004

Presumption - those who pronounce without previous study

10/23/2004

Without reflection, without having first studied the matter, most people are in the habit of pronouncing judgements such as: ‘In my opinion, this is false… in my view, this is stupid.' The poor things do not see what dangers they are exposing themselves to. On what grounds do they say ‘in my opinion'? As if this ‘me' possessed the absolute truth. What pride, what presumption! Good Lord, they should demonstrate a little more modesty! When they know what has been said and achieved by others who surpass them, when they have studied the same things and have had the same experiences, then yes, they will have the right to say ‘in my opinion', and not before. Of course, we cannot prevent people from saying ‘in my opinion'; everyone says it. But, in doing so, it is they who classify themselves as presumptuous and ignorant.