"The human mind begins as an empty space, and the information that first reaches it has the power to control it," according to Ibrahim Al-Buleihi, writer and thinker and former member of the Saudi Shura Council, who made his remarks during his presentation at a session titled ‘The Ideology of Ignorance’, at the opening day of the World Government Summit, WGS, 2017.

Al-Buleihi said, "The mind is not automatically inclined to think positively and be open. It needs to be trained to do so through systematic learning and concentrated effort. The benchmark of a civilization is its ability to evolve. The human mindset can remain narrow or regress, even after acquiring the highest education. We cannot teach a mind to be narrow and then expect it to be broad and tolerant. It is vital to train the mind to not just collect information, but be critical and analytical of the knowledge it acquires. It should learn to test each idea and consciously acquire desirable traits."

He pointed out that ignorance is the original state of a human mind. Later, as it acquires information, the mind will be programed by the first set of ideas, ideologies, environment and culture that it is exposed to. The mind may eventually be privy to a wealth of knowledge, but can still remain confined in its own identity, which often stems from inherited culture.

Al-Buleihi added, "Acquisition of knowledge alone will not root out ignorance. On the contrary, education is often used to spread radicalism. Scientific and technological advancements do not impact a mind that is controlled by religion and inherited culture. Prejudice is not a rare state of mind but the most basic human nature. Unless human beings learn to analyse and be objective in their thinking, they will stay trapped in their own prejudices, unable to change and move ahead."

In closing, he stressed the need for educational institutions to teach inclusion and tolerance in a systematic way.

The world government summit has drawn the participation of more than 4,000 personalities from 139 countries around the world, reflecting the leading stature of the summit on regional and international levels and the high interest from governments, global organizations, private and public sector entities, decision makers, entrepreneurs, academics and university students as well as scientists and innovators. #WGS 2017 features 150 speakers across 114 sessions that highlight the world’s most pressing challenges and showcase best practices and cutting-edge solutions to deal with them.

Source: Arab News