Theaveragemanwhousesatelephonecouldnotexplainhowatelephoneworks.Hetakesforgrantedthetelephone,therailwaytrain,thelinotype,theairplane,asourgrandfatherstookforgrantedthemiraclesofthegospels.Heneitherquestionnorunderstandthem.Itisasthougheachofusinvestigatedandmadehisownatinycircleoffacts.Knowledgeoutsidetheday'sworkisregardedbymostmenasagewgaw.Stillweareconstantlyinreactionagainstourignorance.Werouseourselvesatintervalsandspeculate.Werevelinspeculationsaboutanythingatall---aboutlifeafterdeathoraboutsuchquestionsasthatwhichissaidtohavepuzzled
Aristotle,"Whysneezingfromnoontomidnightwasgood,butfromnighttonoonunlucky?"Oneofthegreatestjoysknowntomanistotakesuchaflightintoignoranceinsearchoftheknowledge.Thegreatpleasureofignoranceis,afterall,thepleasureofaskingquestions.Themanwhohaslostthispleasureorexchangeditforthepleasureofdogma,whichisthepleasureofanswering,isalreadybeginningtostiffen.OneenviessoinquisitiveamanasJewell,whosatdowntothestudyofphysiologyinhissixties.Mostofushavelostthesenseofourignorancelongbeforethatage.Weevenbecomevainofoursquirrel'shoardofknowledgeandregardincreasingageitselfasaschoolofomniscience.WeforgetthatSocrateswasfamedforwisdomnotbecausehewasomniscientbutbecauseherealizedattheageofseventythathestillknewnothing.