More Light

“We are learning more and more the high cost of discovering the truth about anything,” said a

scholarly scientist. “Our subject matter is so complex,” he continued, “that we never reach more than

half-truths, and first approximations.” This wholesome admission suggests a viewpoint which men in all

fields would well remember. New discovery is constantly changing theories which once were thought to

be final. A college textbook from only a short while ago is likely to be a collection of odd and out-dated

misinformation today. And what some of our teachers once taught was the final word in many fields, it

now seems was not the final word at all – but merely the best guess someone could make at that time

from the evidence then available. And this trial and error process is still in progress. Much as we know,

we know so little compared with the infinite unknown. It is doubtful if mortal man can know the whole

truth about anything. Since this is so it would seem that humility would be a most becoming quality, in

all teachers, in all students, in all people in all professions, in any field – and in all of us. if we would

reserve dogmatic declarations until we have more light, many time-consuming controversies would

resolve themselves and we would have more time and energy to devote to using what we do now know.

And with humility and open minds we are more likely to come closer to the truth – and in the meantime

not stand so much in danger of having to reverse ourselves by reason of our dogmatism and

uncompromising opinions. A dogmatic, self-assured mind is unbecoming in the classroom – or anywhere

else. One thing we do know is that there is infinitely much that no man knows. Blessed is the man who

has the courage to say “I do not know,” when he really doesn’t know, but only supposes.