Balanced Thinking

From the Swietlistej Drogi, Justice; from the Mirrors of the Heart, 'Growth:'

          Justice seems to be balanced on a tasseled, giant thumbtack as she holds a set of scales. Any judge worth his or her salt must be aware of how their background has shaped their beliefs, prejudices, and preferences. In the words of SCJ Sonia Sotomayor, "I willingly accept that we who judge must not deny the differences resulting from experience and heritage but attempt, as the Supreme Court suggests, continuously to judge when those opinions, sympathies and prejudices are appropriate." Awareness and honesty play a vital role in whether that thumbtack will stick upright or tilt. The Growth card shows a plant rising upward through the mud and water to find the sky. It is challenging to grow beyond personal experience and knowledge, to be able to admit ignorance rather than adamantly stick to our script. Only then will we find clarity and wisdom.

You've never seen me debate anybody. On anything. Ever. My investment of time, as an educator, in my judgment, is best served teaching people how to think about the world around them. Teach them how to pose a question. How to judge whether one thing is true versus another. 

 ~Neil deGrasse Tyson