“The shortest and surest way of arriving at real knowledge is to unlearn the lessons we have been taught, to mount the first principles, and take nobody’s word about them”.
-Henry Bolingbroke
If this quote isn’t the true, I don’t know what is! As children, we are taught what to believe through our guardians. Whether it is Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt and Uncle, Sister and Brother, or whoever, they teach us their principles, which may or may not be right. When you are that young, you rely on what the authority figure in your life tells you are right and go from there.
What this quote says to me is to think for yourself. Throw out what you have been conditioned to think and use your own mind. “Mount your first principles” says to go with your first instinct. Let your intuition guide you. “Don’t take nobody’s word about them”. Every day, people judge by what others have experienced. By doing this you cheat yourself out of having your own opinion. For example, it could be a certain type of food like sushi. Most people hear sushi and they automatically go ‘yuck’! Have they ever tried it? No, but they hear what everyone else says and go with it. Maybe sushi is the best taste ever, but they wouldn’t know because they never try it. Real knowledge is finding out for yourself. Go out and don’t be afraid to experience life as your own. I can’t stress the importance of seeing life through your own eyes, not through someone else’s.
I am an authentic person, so this quote really stood out for me. It speaks about what I believe in, that’s why I chose to write about it.
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