Opinion – Col Owens: The survival of our times requires that stupid is overcome by smart

I have a friend, an influential friend, who has a fascination with stupid.

Not completely irrational – there is a lot of stupid in this world.

I prefer to focus on smart. On things that tend to reduce the amount of stupid in the world.

I find myself thinking a lot about what life must have been like when we lived in caves, and our major concerns were avoiding wild beasts, bad weather, and hostile fellow beings, while seeking food and shelter.

Not entirely unlike our major concerns today – despite our vastly increased sophistication in these pursuits.

The wild beasts concern is mostly eliminated. At least for the big visible beasts. We are still dealing with the very small, disease-carrying beasts.

But having enough to eat? And adequate shelter from the elements? Much less the overarching concern with the climate and our environment, our ability to live safely on this planet?

In a sense, our ongoing struggle as a species is to overcome stupid with smart.

In our distant past, those who were so afraid – of the beasts, the elements, or their fellow humans – that they dared not venture from the safety of the cave, probably tended to die out or to fade into obscurity.

While those who dared to think, that life would be better if they tried new things – better and more reliable shelter, food sources, protection from the weather, wild beasts – and each other – these persons provided not only the things their tribes needed to survive, they provided the leadership to get these better things done.

There is a lesson here. It does not take the proverbial rocket scientist to know that we are living in a state of jeopardy on a number of fronts. The climate, ongoing poverty, war and violence in and between our tribes, disease, illiteracy. And do on.

The lesson is clear, at least to me. To elevate smart. To invest in smart. And to reward smart. To educate. To enable those with curiosity to pursue it.

Not just for their gratification. For the benefit of us all. They are our pioneers – like those who dared to venture out of the cave, to escape danger and find a better life.

Those early leaders were the liberals of their time. Those who believed in possibility – the possibility of a better life, not just for themselves, but for all.

So too, the liberals of our time seek improvement – much needed improvement – in our common life.

We must support them. Our survival depends on it.

Col Owens is a retired attorney and a retired law professor. He is author of the book, Bending the Arc Toward Justice.