When Ignorance Screams

A lesson from The Far Side.

I will no longer argue with idiots.

I have always tried to have an open mind to ideas, no matter where or who those ideas may come from. Idiots don’t necessarily lacking intelligence, but they all lack critical thinking skills.

Here is a short story to demonstrate why I will no longer argue with anyone who is not willing to take both sides of any issue into consideration. I hope you enjoy it.

The donkey told the tiger, “The grass is blue.”

The tiger replied, “No, the grass is green​.”

The discussion became heated, and the two decided to submit the issue to arbitration, so they approached the lion.

As they approached the lion on his throne, the donkey started screaming: ′′Your Highness, isn’t it true that the grass is blue?”​

The lion replied: “If you believe it is true, the grass is blue.”​

The donkey rushed forward and continued: ′′The tiger disagrees with me, contradicts me and annoys me. Please punish him.”

The king then declared: ′′The tiger will be punished with 3 days of silence.”​

The donkey jumped with joy and went on his way, content and repeating ′′The grass is blue, the grass is blue…”​

The tiger asked the lion, “Your Majesty, why have you punished me, after all, the grass is green?”​

The lion replied, ′′You’ve known and seen the grass is green.”

The tiger asked, ′′So why do you punish me?”​

The lion replied, “That has nothing to do with the question of whether the grass is blue or green. The punishment is because it is degrading for a brave, intelligent creature like you to waste time arguing with an ass, and on top of that, you came and bothered me with that question just to validate something you already knew was true!”

The biggest waste of time is arguing with the fool and fanatic who doesn’t care about truth or reality, but only the victory of his beliefs and illusions. Never waste time on discussions that make no sense. There are people who, for all the evidence presented to them, do not have the ability to understand. Others who are blinded by ego, hatred and resentment, and the only thing that they want is to be right even if they aren’t.

If you have felt that you have argued a point until you’re blue in the face, remember the lesson of this short story. Take the high road and let the idiots dance in the meadow all they want.

You have done nothing when you have bested a fool. And the absolutely worst thing to do with an ass, validate the ignorance!

When IGNORANCE SCREAMS, intelligence moves on.