Falling in a Ditch

Why is it that the most arrogant people are often the most ignorant?

Seems like it would be a contradiction, doesn’t it?

Arrogance comes from the Latin that means to assume. Ignorance from Latin means something like not aware. Surely you have the relative at the family reunion or an outspoken friend who is an expert on everything. He or she assumes that he knows what he is talking about but is clearly not aware. What’s scary is that usually, if not always, the person is unaware that he is not aware of his assumptions. In other words, he is ignorant of his ignorance and arrogance.

And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch. Matthew 15:14

Think about when the arrogant lead the ignorant, what happens then? I fall in a ditch.

I am often embarrassed by my ignorance and arrogance. Reflecting on the times in my life that I have been most arrogant is often when I have been the most ignorant. This typically happens when I am attempting to impose my views, that is, my judgments on others. Sadly, most of my arrogance was based on ignorance. I spoke about people who I had never met or associated. Regardless of how much I knew or thought I knew or how sincere I was about my convictions doesn’t mean that I know what I’m talking about, like Charles Kettering said, “You can be sincere and still be stupid.”

It also seems that ignorance and arrogance is often alive and well in religious and political circles. If you ever meet someone with all the answers and they are arrogant, this includes pseudo-humility, there's a strong chance that you are dealing with an ignorant person. Perhaps my writing that line qualifies me for that club.

I think of the people Jesus butted heads with on his journey. These folks were the ones with the answers to life. They had their law books and could tell you how to live. They were arrogant about the law and ignorant about love.

Ever met a religious person who is arrogant about the law and ignorant about love?

If anyone was going to be arrogant you think that Jesus or some other spiritual person like Mother Theresa or Gandhi would have been. Yet each of these souls possessed something beyond belief, knowledge and the law… Love.

Love moves beyond belief, knowledge and law.

Pride vanquishes in the presence of the Mystery, for I know that I do not know.
I can assume I know and yet not be aware, making me both arrogant and ignorant.
We can possess beliefs, knowledge and laws and still not walk in Love.

Jesus said that the world would know him by the way we love one another, not how much we think we know or what we claim to believe-- otherwise we just fall in a ditch.