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Vlog Brothers 1., 06. Towering Mountains of Ignorance

06. Towering Mountains of Ignorance

Good morning, John.

I don't know.

Say it with me. I don't know.

Good god! It is liberating! I am a towering mountain of ignorance! I DON'T KNOW! Why is a plumber named Mario? Mario, the most well-known video game character in existence? I don't know.

Why are guitars shaped like this? [Hank makes weird noise] Why is Iggy Azalea popular?

Good lord, I have no idea. I think that I know a lot of things, though when I play Pub Trivia with my friends, I'm surprisingly unhelpful. But, the vast majority of things, VAAAAST majority, I don't know.

And not just because of the sheer number of things, but also the number of things that affect those things. We live in an age where we are taught to believe that everything has a reason. And so we observe the world, we see what happened, and then we define the thing that happened as the reason the thing happened.

Like we say, Harry Potter's popular because, uh, it took place in a school and it was well-written and we had a deep and unknown desire for silly wizards. Which is the exact same thing as saying, "Harry Potter's popular because it's Harry Potter.

And then we think we solved it, and then when other books about wizards and schools that are well-written come out, we're like well, it's not Harry Potter. Yeah, so it doesn't have all the attributes of Harry Potter, so it's not as popular as Harry Potter. We're really good at this. Now, I'm glad that we have the desire to understand the world.

That results in all sorts of great stuff. We wanna know everything. We're humans. We're curious. And maybe it's our culture, maybe it's just humanity. But, I think a lot of the time we end up mixing up thinking something with knowing something. Suddenly, it's kinda expected that everyone in the world has an opinion on how to solve the Syrian Civil War and how to create more jobs in the United States and "What are the effects of cell phone use on the youth of today?

Now, I know that I don't know, but somehow everyone else seems to know. They all know differently from each other, but they all seem to know.

When you look at all deeply at this, you realize that people aren't basing their opinions on what they think is the best course of action or the actual best explanation for it. They're basing it on their values, and that's fine. It's what values are for, and values are great. But it might be a little silly to think that you've discovered the best possible course of action just because you figured out a way to turn your values into executable vision.

Now, these guesses are useful, tremendously useful. Weeeeeeee-eeeeee! [laughs] We convert our amalgamated opinions into, like, reality.

That's the terrifying beauty of culture, and more specifically democracy. But, they are just guesses. No one knows the correct course of action. We will never take it because there are too many options. What I'm saying is nobody's opinions are correct. In the world. And yet, it's impossible not to tie your opinions to your concept of self. And often, people tie those things so closely together that they begin defending their guesses as if they're defending their very lives. In a way, they are.

This is why it can be so impossible to talk about certain topics with certain people. They've tied those suppositions to themselves so tightly with knots of narrative and constructed reality and values that there's just no untying it. And maybe, unsurprisingly, in those situations the best course of action is just to be friends.

Maybe even ask them about that thing that they've created because, to them, as it is to all of us, it's immensely valuable. The world as we perceive it, as we've built it inside of ourselves, is a lie that we tell to ourselves, not out of deception, but out of necessity.

We have no other choice. We simply cannot understand the world as it is. And so, we construct, and it's a useful construction. And it allows us to do many amazing things, but sometimes I just have to tell myself the thing that is definitely true, the truest things I can say, which is that I don't know. I don't know.

I don't know.

John, I'll see you on Tuesday. And often people tie those things so closely together thathehet- So closely together that their... So closely together that that it is... So closely together that they depi... PPPpllblbll.

So closely together that the, that the, the, that the, the, that the, that the the, that they, the that da, the, that, the they the that the they, that, they they that the da the the they.

06. Towering Mountains of Ignorance 06\. Hoch aufragende Berge der Unwissenheit 06. Montañas de ignorancia 06. Montagne torreggianti di ignoranza 06.そびえ立つ無知の山 06. Aukšti nežinojimo kalnai 06. Montanhas da Ignorância 06. Башенные горы невежества 06. Високі гори невігластва 06.高耸的无知之山 06. 無知的高山

Good morning, John. Guten Morgen, Johannes.

I don’t know. Ich weiß nicht.

Say it with me. Sag es mit mir. I don’t know.

Good god! Guter Gott! It is liberating! Es ist befreiend! I am a towering mountain of ignorance! Ich bin ein gewaltiger Berg der Unwissenheit! I DON’T KNOW! Why is a plumber named Mario? Warum heißt ein Klempner Mario? Mario, the most well-known video game character in existence? Mario, die bekannteste Videospielfigur, die es gibt? I don’t know. Ich weiß nicht.

Why are guitars shaped like this? Warum sind Gitarren so geformt? [Hank makes weird noise] [Hank macht seltsame Geräusche] Why is Iggy Azalea popular? Warum ist Iggy Azalea beliebt?

Good lord, I have no idea. Guter Gott, ich habe keine Ahnung. I think that I know a lot of things, though when I play Pub Trivia with my friends, I’m surprisingly unhelpful. Ich denke, dass ich viele Dinge weiß, aber wenn ich mit meinen Freunden Pub Trivia spiele, bin ich überraschend wenig hilfreich. But, the vast majority of things, VAAAAST majority, I don’t know. Aber die überwiegende Mehrheit der Dinge, VAAAAST Mehrheit, weiß ich nicht.

And not just because of the sheer number of things, but also the number of things that affect those things. Und das nicht nur wegen der schieren Menge an Dingen, sondern auch wegen der Menge an Dingen, die diese Dinge beeinflussen. We live in an age where we are taught to believe that everything has a reason. Wir leben in einer Zeit, in der uns beigebracht wird zu glauben, dass alles einen Grund hat. And so we observe the world, we see what happened, and then we define the thing that happened as the reason the thing happened.

Like we say, Harry Potter’s popular because, uh, it took place in a school and it was well-written and we had a deep and unknown desire for silly wizards. Wie wir sagen, Harry Potter ist beliebt, weil, äh, es in einer Schule gespielt hat und es gut geschrieben war und wir ein tiefes und unbekanntes Verlangen nach albernen Zauberern hatten. Which is the exact same thing as saying, "Harry Potter’s popular because it’s Harry Potter. Was genau dasselbe ist wie zu sagen: „Harry Potter ist beliebt, weil es Harry Potter ist.

And then we think we solved it, and then when other books about wizards and schools that are well-written come out, we’re like well, it’s not Harry Potter. Und dann denken wir, wir hätten es gelöst, und wenn andere Bücher über Zauberer und Schulen herauskommen, die gut geschrieben sind, denken wir, dass es nicht Harry Potter ist. Yeah, so it doesn’t have all the attributes of Harry Potter, so it’s not as popular as Harry Potter. Ja, es hat also nicht alle Attribute von Harry Potter, also ist es nicht so beliebt wie Harry Potter. We’re really good at this. Darin sind wir wirklich gut. Now, I’m glad that we have the desire to understand the world. Jetzt bin ich froh, dass wir den Wunsch haben, die Welt zu verstehen.

That results in all sorts of great stuff. Das ergibt allerlei tolle Sachen. We wanna know everything. Wir wollen alles wissen. We’re humans. Wir sind Menschen. We’re curious. And maybe it’s our culture, maybe it’s just humanity. Und vielleicht ist es unsere Kultur, vielleicht ist es einfach die Menschheit. But, I think a lot of the time we end up mixing up thinking something with knowing something. Aber ich denke, dass wir die meiste Zeit damit enden, etwas zu denken mit etwas zu wissen zu verwechseln. Suddenly, it’s kinda expected that everyone in the world has an opinion on how to solve the Syrian Civil War and how to create more jobs in the United States and "What are the effects of cell phone use on the youth of today? Plötzlich wird irgendwie erwartet, dass jeder auf der Welt eine Meinung dazu hat, wie der syrische Bürgerkrieg gelöst und mehr Arbeitsplätze in den Vereinigten Staaten geschaffen werden können, und „Welche Auswirkungen hat die Nutzung von Mobiltelefonen auf die Jugend von heute?

Now, I know that I don’t know, but somehow everyone else seems to know. Nun, ich weiß, dass ich es nicht weiß, aber irgendwie scheinen alle anderen es zu wissen. They all know differently from each other, but they all seem to know. Sie wissen alle unterschiedlich voneinander, aber sie scheinen es alle zu wissen.

When you look at all deeply at this, you realize that people aren’t basing their opinions on what they think is the best course of action or the actual best explanation for it. Wenn Sie sich das alles genau ansehen, stellen Sie fest, dass die Menschen ihre Meinung nicht auf das stützen, was sie für die beste Vorgehensweise oder die tatsächlich beste Erklärung dafür halten. They’re basing it on their values, and that’s fine. Sie basieren auf ihren Werten, und das ist in Ordnung. It’s what values are for, and values are great. Dafür sind Werte da, und Werte sind großartig. But it might be a little silly to think that you’ve discovered the best possible course of action just because you figured out a way to turn your values into executable vision. Aber es könnte ein wenig albern sein zu glauben, dass Sie die bestmögliche Vorgehensweise entdeckt haben, nur weil Sie einen Weg gefunden haben, Ihre Werte in eine umsetzbare Vision umzuwandeln.

Now, these guesses are useful, tremendously useful. Nun, diese Vermutungen sind nützlich, enorm nützlich. Weeeeeeee-eeeeee! Weeeeeeeeeeeee! [laughs] [lacht] We convert our amalgamated opinions into, like, reality. Wir setzen unsere zusammengefassten Meinungen in Realität um.

That’s the terrifying beauty of culture, and more specifically democracy. Das ist die erschreckende Schönheit der Kultur und insbesondere der Demokratie. But, they are just guesses. Aber sie sind nur Vermutungen. No one knows the correct course of action. Niemand kennt die richtige Vorgehensweise. We will never take it because there are too many options. Wir werden es nie nehmen, weil es zu viele Möglichkeiten gibt. What I’m saying is nobody’s opinions are correct. Was ich sagen will, ist, dass die Meinungen von niemandem richtig sind. In the world. In der Welt. And yet, it’s impossible not to tie your opinions to your concept of self. Und doch ist es unmöglich, Ihre Meinungen nicht an Ihr Selbstkonzept zu binden. And often, people tie those things so closely together that they begin defending their guesses as if they’re defending their very lives. Und oft verknüpfen Menschen diese Dinge so eng miteinander, dass sie anfangen, ihre Vermutungen zu verteidigen, als ob sie ihr Leben verteidigen würden. In a way, they are. In gewisser Weise sind sie es.

This is why it can be so impossible to talk about certain topics with certain people. Deshalb kann es so unmöglich sein, mit bestimmten Menschen über bestimmte Themen zu sprechen. They’ve tied those suppositions to themselves so tightly with knots of narrative and constructed reality and values that there’s just no untying it. And maybe, unsurprisingly, in those situations the best course of action is just to be friends.

Maybe even ask them about that thing that they’ve created because, to them, as it is to all of us, it’s immensely valuable. The world as we perceive it, as we’ve built it inside of ourselves, is a lie that we tell to ourselves, not out of deception, but out of necessity.

We have no other choice. We simply cannot understand the world as it is. And so, we construct, and it’s a useful construction. And it allows us to do many amazing things, but sometimes I just have to tell myself the thing that is definitely true, the truest things I can say, which is that I don’t know. I don’t know.

I don’t know.

John, I’ll see you on Tuesday. And often people tie those things so closely together thathehet- So closely together that their... So closely together that that it is... So closely together that they depi... PPPpllblbll.

So closely together that the, that the, the, that the, the, that the, that the the, that they, the that da, the, that, the they the that the they, that, they they that the da the the they.