Sir: “Wisest is he who knows he does not know” – Socrates. In this one adage lies the key to understanding the increasing stupidity observed on social media. Self-proclaimed pundits on social media consider themselves to be experts on every available branch of human knowledge. They seem to have simply rejected the possibility that there might be things they do not know about. A mere glance at social media websites would make one realise how many Mr know-it-alls are out there. It is hard to decide whether one should laugh or weep at the arguments and debates by these illiterate experts. When two or more such self-obsessed pundits enter into a debate, it does not take them long to shed their scholarly cloaks and resort to objectionable language.
These ‘scholars’ think that Googling a topic for an hour or watching a single programme on cable television makes them an authority on the subject. What they do not realise is that knowledge and wisdom have never been so cheap and never will be. It can be debated whether this psyche of knowing everything is only present on social media or whether it is a reflection of the whole of society. What cannot be argued with is the fact that this idiocy is not healthy for the intellectual growth of society. This attitude not only harms our ability to learn and gather more knowledge but also undermines the value of true scholars and experts.
SYED USMAN SHAH
Lahore