We are ignorant and arrogant, both individually and collectively. Look at YouTube comments for extreme examples. We exist in a sea of:
- prior belief, shaping what we can hear, see and understand
- shared misunderstanding
- intellectual limitations
- inability to handle real complexity
- illogic
- unreliable memories
- faulty interpretation
- opinion that is to a large extent wrong
- misinformation
- disinformation (e.g. propaganda, marketing, and other lies)
It is amazing that we have come this far.