The greatest danger for the philosophical mind

The greatest danger for the philosophical mind is: arrogance. Thinking it is enough to stay in your room and study all day or think all day. Not realising the walls are not instructive enough. Not realising above all that we need the world to shape and teach us. Not realising that that it is the enivronment rather than our ‘will’ which is most important for our development. Arrogance can make you overestimate your own beliefs, ideas and thinking capacities. ‘Maybe I am wrong’ is a thought that should always be kept in mind. Indeed, you could be completely wrong. Your ideas are only just that. I hope your experiences have shown you that. You should realise the trickiness of a situation in which you think you are right and the others are wrong. Arrogance can also lead you to not take interest in the contingencies of the world. ‘I don’t need to know that.’ ‘I don’t need to be able to do that.’ This is fundamental. Arrogance is a great danger for the philosophical mind.