“Who is more humble? The scientist who looks at the universe with an open mind and accepts whatever the universe has to teach us or somebody who says everything in this book must be considered the literal truth and never mind the fallibility of all the human beings involved?”
— Carl Sagan
Simplified Meaning:
A humble person is open to learning new things and willing to change their understanding based on new evidence. For example, a scientist studies the world with an open mind, ready to accept new discoveries, even if they challenge old beliefs. This attitude helps us grow and understand more about the universe. On the other hand, someone who insists that every word in an old book is absolute truth ignores human mistakes and new information. They aren't open to changing their views, even if new evidence shows they might be wrong. By being open-minded like the scientist, we can adapt, learn, and improve our understanding of the world. This approach helps us make better decisions based on the best available knowledge.
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Critical thinking Fallibility Human nature Humility Knowledge Open mind Science Skepticism Truth UniverseFEATURED QUOTES