Human mind needs positive ideas inculcated through concerted efforts

Ibrahim Al-Buleihi, writer, thinker and a former member of the Saudi Shoura Council at the World Government Summit (WGS) 2017 in Dubai on Sunday.

DUBAI: “The human mind begins as an empty space, and the information that first reaches it has the power to control it,” said Ibrahim Al-Buleihi, writer and thinker and a former member of the Saudi Shoura Council.
His remarks came during his presentation titled “The Ideology of Ignorance” on first day of the World Government Summit (WGS) 2017.
Speaking on the need to consciously embrace changes and move forward, Al-Buleihi said: “The mind is not automatically inclined to think positively and be open. It needs to be trained to do so through systematic learning and concerted effort. The benchmark of a civilization is its ability to evolve. The human mindset can remain narrow or regress, even after acquiring the highest education. We cannot teach a mind to be narrow and then expect it to be broad and tolerant. It is vital to train the mind to not just collect information but also to be critical and analytical of the knowledge it acquires. It should learn to test each idea and consciously acquire desirable traits.”
The author of “The Qualitative Changes in Human Civilization” pointed out that ignorance is the original state of a human mind. Later, as it acquires information, the mind is programed by the first set of ideas, ideologies, environment and culture that it is exposed to. The mind may eventually be privy to a wealth of knowledge, but can still remain confined in its own identity, which often stems from inherited culture.
Al-Buleihi said: “Acquisition of knowledge alone will not root out ignorance. On the contrary, education is often used to spread radicalism. Scientific and technological advancements do not impact a mind that is controlled by religion and inherited culture. Prejudice is not a rare state of mind but the most basic human nature. Unless human beings learn to analyze and be objective in their thinking, they will stay trapped in their own prejudices, unable to change and move ahead.”
He stressed the need for educational institutions to teach inclusion and tolerance in a systematic way.