Why Opinion Is Not Truth, and Knowledge Is Not Fact

 When human beings were having their characteristics given out to them, one of the angels came to a man who was to be a ‘saint”, and asked, 'What do you want?’

The Saint-to-be answered 'Nothing’ and continued to sit in contemplation of Truth.

Now the Angel went from one to another of the humans-to-be and asked their wishes. The King-to-be said, 'Pomp and importance’. The Peasant-to-be said, 'Work to do’. The Warrior-to-be said, 'Glory’. And so, it went on.

Then a voice said to the Saint-to-be, 'You have asked nothing for yourself, and it is not too late to choose. Because of your desire for Truth, however, you shall have a glimpse of how humanity will use the attributes— ’ As the Saint-to-be looked into a mirror that was held before him, he saw kings in their pomp and ceremony, peasants working endlessly, soldiers continually fighting___

Then the Saint-to-be gasped, 'But what will be the future of the People of Learning?’

The picture in the mirror shifted and he saw priests and scholars and experts of all kinds. They had asked for opinions, and for convictions, and for learning.

As a result, of course, they were often led astray, and they led others just as far away from Truth.

The Saint-to-be cried out, 'But why is there no way of seeking Knowledge without opinion, Truth without obsession, fact without personal attachment to it?’

'It is somewhat too late for those things to be given to the existing types,’ said the Angel, 'and therefore people will now regard facts as knowledge, opinion as enlightenment, commit­ment as piety and worth.’

'But’ said the Saint-to-be, 'how will people come to know that truth is not opinion, that facts are not knowledge, that belief is not worth?’ 

'Because’, said the Angel, 'when opinion is taken as fact, it does not fit properly. When facts are believed to be knowledge, there is an irregularity in the person who tries to integrate this into himself. When obsession is confused with duty, again it leaves a space.’ 

'And then what happens?’ asked the Saint-to-be. 

'And then, the people who try to fit the one into the place of the other become vain, get angry, are seen to be petty, and people observing them will start to look instead for real knowledge.’ 

The Saint to-be asked, 'But will anything stop people from seeing the shortcomings of the specialists?’ 

'Only’ said the Angel, 'if there is too much vanity, emotion and pettiness on the part of the observer.’