Stian’s Reviews > Mortals and Others > Status Update

Curious learning not only makes unpleasant things less unpleasant but also makes pleasant things more pleasant. [...] It is a pity that learning has come to be considered in a utilitarian spirit, as a help in passing examinations or in practicing a profession. Our age is unwilling to admit the usefulness of what is labelled 'useless'.

At present, scholastic education too often generates a distaste for knowledge. Aristotle thought that man naturally loves learning, but he lived before the days of compulsory education. Until early education is made pleasanter, adult education will not be popular with the majority.

What has happened is quite simple. Those elements of the population which are both brutal and stupid (and these two qualities usually go together) have combined against the rest. [...] The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.
- 10th of May, 1933.

Every young man or young woman whose opinions are not on all points those of the older generation is met with arguments inspired by this point of view. "Do you think you are wiser than so-and-so?" says the indignant parent or teacher. "So-and-so" is almost always a man who himself disagreed with his parents and teachers, but this fact is ignored.

Men like Einstein proclaim obvious truths about war but are not listened to. So long as Einstein is unintelligible, he is thought wise, but as soon as he says anything that people can understand, it is thought that his wisdom has departed from him. In this folly, governments take a leading part. It seems politicians would rather lead their countries to destruction than not be in the government.

Russell is everything you want a writer to be -- witty, funny, intelligent, and most of all insightful. This essay collection is shaping up to be a very enjoyable read.

If we spent half an hour every day in silent immobility, I am convinced that we should conduct all our affairs, personal, national, and international, far more sanely than we do at present.