The world is complex. Whatever we choose to have a crack at trying to understand really well, we are by default choosing other areas in which to be ignorant. We need to trust others to head in other directions because we know that the idea of a Philosopher King is crazy in a world that is impossible for any individual to understand. We need a system that collectively understands. Even then, the collective system will always only be chipping away at its ignorance. We need mechanisms for trial and error, and continual feedback. One of the strengths of humans we don't understand is the creative ability in our messy approach to problem solving. It is the reason that computers can't yet beat humans in Go. I thought the talk below is a great example of an attempt to chip away at ignorance. The Dalai Lama has spent a lifetime considering the emotional approach to happiness. He is a 'Moral Giant'. Others on the panel have focused on economics and moral psychology. The Dalai Lama is chipping away at his criticisms of Capitalism. The idea of secular moral discussions and bringing together leaders across fields to grapple with the way forward is very appealing. Beyond leaders, it would be great if outside our areas of specialisation where we are consciously improving, we all chipped away at our ignorance in other areas.
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