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Our rulers: politicians, 'diplomats', bankers, priests of every description, economists, lawyers, etc. and the majority of teachers ... ignorant of modern science, scientific methods, structural linguistic and semantic issues of [today] and ... historical and anthropological background, without which a sane orientation is impossible.... as long as such ignorance of our rulers prevails, no solution of our human problems is possible.

Alfred Korzybski#10

ScienceEducationIgnoranceLeadershipSociety

About this quote

What does it mean?
Leaders and educators lack necessary scientific and semantic knowledge to solve human problems.
In plain terms
Rulers are too ignorant of science and language to fix society.
What can you take from it?
Problem-solving requires leaders who understand science and language.

Where it applies

  • policy making
  • curriculum design
  • public discourse

Putting it to work

  • educate leaders
  • promote scientific literacy

Questions to consider

  • Who qualifies to lead in a complex world?
  • What knowledge is essential for rulers?

Another view

Some leaders do have relevant expertise despite the general claim.

More from Alfred Korzybski

  1. Bankers, priests, lawyers,... politicians, [and news media] constitute one class [of our rulers] and work together. They do not produce any values but manipula…

    Permalink to quote #9
  2. There are two ways to slide easily through life: to believe everything or to doubt everything; both ways save us from thinking.

    Permalink to quote #11
  3. If a psychiatric and scientific enquiry were to be made upon our rulers, mankind would be appalled at the disclosures.

    Permalink to quote #8

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