I’ve recently watched an interview with Bertrand Russell, he was a lot of things in his time, a philosopher, a logician, a writer, and a mathematician. His critiques and opinions are highly respected in the world, and his thinking influences us even today.

The interviewer asked him about what he would like to say to the people of tomorrow, what message would he like to put in the time capsule. This message is a product of a lifetime of learning, through major historical events, through all the highs and lows.  Providing an insight that will become more important to us as time goes on. 

“I should like to say two things, one intellectual and one moral. The intellectual thing I should want to say is this: When you are studying any matter, or considering any philosophy, ask yourself only what are the facts and what is the truth that the facts bear out. Never let yourself be diverted either by what you wish to believe, or by what you think would have beneficent social effects if it were believed. But look only, and solely, at what are the facts. That is the intellectual thing that I should wish to say.

The moral thing I should wish to say… I should say love is wise, hatred is foolish. In this world which is getting more closely and closely interconnected we have to learn to tolerate each other, we have to learn to put up with the fact that some people say things that we don’t like. We can only live together in that way and if we are to live together and not die together we must learn a kind of charity and a kind of tolerance which is absolutely vital to the continuation of human life on this planet.”

Now, his message seems to be more relevant than ever. In this era we see a rising case of anti-intellectualism, polarizing social issues and political views divide us on a scale unheard of before. Every side blames each other for all the world’s problems. While we demonize each other, the problem continues to get worse.

“We have to learn to put up with the fact that some people say things we don’t like” This is never going to change, so what we can learn to do is to make progress despite that. “Love is wise, Hatred is foolish.” It took a long time for me to realize, but hating the other side is never going to get us anywhere. It only stops you from thinking rationally, and taking the steps to try and remedy the situation. But it is impossible for us imperfect human beings to love everything and everybody. It can even be argued that some things don’t deserve our love.

So if we cannot love, at least we can learn not to hate.

“Never let yourself be diverted by what you wish to believe” Particularly in this interconnected age, it is so easy to fall into echo chambers, filled only with opinions that reinforce your beliefs, disregarding the facts. It’s important to be open to new ideas, and never lose sight of the facts. So, be aware of the rising divide between our society, always remember to stick with the facts, and learn not to hate. Reason, compassion and hope will prevail. Slowly and surely, we will build a better world for future generations.

The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” Isaac Asimov – Column in Newsweek (1980)