Conventional Wisdom - Things as seen by the world.
Insight - Seeing something the world generally hasn't.
Men have gone to the moon. Lewis and Clark travelled to the Pacific. Scientists long for discovering that which has not been known or understood before. Columbus discovered America, Einstein developed the theory of relativity. Considering these world changing insights - in general the world prefers conventional wisdom to insight.
Conventional wisdom is attained quite passively. Our natural Taoist inclination to follow the path of least resistance draws us to the drab and boring blob of conventional wisdom.
Children are born to question convention. Adults develop increasing discomfort to this questioning - and the practice of questioning equated to naivete. Unquestioned acceptance of convention blinds us to Insights which might take us to greater understanding.
Insight is threatening. The world has investment in convention. Those who question and gain unique insight contradicting convention risk the wrath of the powers that be. For example, Galileo gained the insight and taught to those seeking understanding that the earth rotated around the sun. Conventional wisdom was that the earth was God's central creation and that such a belief was heretical.
The 'Magic Eye' picture above is a fascianting example of insight. Many cannot see the flowers in the picture. But for those who can - they cannot be convinced that the flowers are not there. My experience is that most don't have the patience to learn to see the flowers and their reaction is to become angry with those who 'claim they can.' The experience becomes akin to a snipe hunt for those that can't see it. They stop looking because they believe the whole experience is simply trying to make them feel foolish. And yet - the flowers remain seen by some and denied by others.
A path of wisdom would suggest avoiding the condemnation of insight. Rigorous defense of conventional wisdom is the realm of prejudice and bigotry. In high school - I was not a fan of Thoreau. He seemed so anti-progressive and a social pessimist. I am no longer 17 - I now find a kindred spirit. There are not too many teenage philosophers. Experience is required to contrast the experiences of life against theory. But let us not punish the youth in questioning us.
If you grasp an insight - share it - when you gain your own insight - post it.
