Knowledge and Belief

Sapere Aude  - 'Dare to Know'

Enlightenment is when a person leaves behind a state of immaturity and dependence for which he himself was responsible. Immaturity and dependence are the inability to use one's own intellect without the direction of another. One is responsible for this immaturity and dependence, its cause is not a lack of intelligence or education, but a lack of determination and courage to think without the direction of another.

Immannuel Kant's essay addressed the causes of a lack of enlightenment and the preconditions necessary to make it possible for people to enlighten themselves. He held it necessary that all church and state paternalism be abolished and people given the freedom to use their own intellect.

This does not mean that all authority must be abolished.  Society and countries have rules and laws that provide for the well being of their members.  However these rules and laws are evolving and the general trend is to permit more personal freedom and less unnecessary paternalism.  This freedom, if not abused, will empower individuals to become more creative and innovative in their thinking.

Imagine you are trapped in a cage of steel bars.  Each bar represents a barrier to your free will to create and offer new ideas and thought.  However you must remove all the bars, not just some, to exercise that free will.  Some bars are what are called mental models such as acceptance and support of paternalism and others are unneccessary paternalism in the form of outdated laws or societal values. 

Example of mental modelling

We stand on the planet and look up - right?   No - we look out!  But its very hard to change such a mental model that you have come to accept implicitly.  

Why bother to learn when you can delegate your mind into believing?

If you choose to exercise the five freedoms (move, speak, disagree, emote, think) what will be required of you in return?  Only to revere life and the dignity of others.   

What are mental models or mental fingerprints?

Can you analyse your own mental models? 

What do you believe to be true?

Why bother to learn when you can delegate your mind into believing?

What do you know to be true?

What is real communication?

What is creative tension?

When people meet and discuss something some are likely to have an undeclared personal agenda or ego that will interfere with true dialogue.  Disagreement and personality clashes occur when egos and undeclared personal agendas prevail in a meeting and where mistrust and manipulation exists.  

However a meeting where all participants are truly desirous of open discussion, are seeking a shared vision, and can sideline their ego or personal agenda, will still disagree and argue - this is creative tension.  From this only the best outcomes will result.