FRUITS OF FRESH THINKING

If Our Thinking Remains Standing Still

And We Refuse To Objectively Examine

The Established Thoughts

We Inherited From Other Humans

Then Our Knowledge Base With Shrink

And We Will Be Unable To Enjoy

The Fruits Of Fresh Thinking

Both The Scholar And The Student

Have A Tendency To Focus On Information

That Confirms The Theories Or Opinions

That They Already Hold

We Are Inclined To Embrace Ideas

That Are Consistent With The Views

Espoused By Our Parents

And Routinely Taught To Us

By Our Pastors, Professors

And Other Influence Peddlers 

Most Of Us Are Afraid Or Suspicious

Of Intellectual Adventures

That Expose Us To New Ways Of Knowing

And We Have No Strong Desires To Question

The Assertions Of Our Superiors

We Are Reluctant To Change Our Mental Positions

Unless A Novel Thoughts Is Endorsed

By Individuals We Greatly Admire

Or By People We Respect

Because Of Their Talents And Credentials

To Preserve Our Mental Comfort Zones

Within Which Our Narrow Thoughts Thrives

And To Convince Our Audience

That Our Subjective Assertions Are Factual

As Long As Our Minds Remain Closed

To The Intrusion Of New Truths

And We Refuse To Objectively Examine

Conventional Wisdom And Traditional Truths

We Are Unlikely To Discover New Knowledge 

                            PHILLIP RHODES