Chapter 4.3 – Intellectual Rubbish
Warming up!
1. How will you react in the following situations ?
(a) Your Science teacher tells you that plants exposed to the sunlight grow faster than those always in the shade.
Ans: If my science teachers tell me plants exposed to the sunlight grow faster than those always in the shade, I shall believe her as she is a learned person and I am there to learn from her.
(b) Your aunt tells you not to go for a job interview because it’s a no moon
day, that very same day.
Ans: If my aunt tells me not to go for a job interview because it’s a no moon day, that very same day, I won’t believe her as I don’t believe in superstitions. The job interview is more important and there is no scientific evidence of the effects of phases of the moon on our daily lives and decisions.
(c) Your friend argues with you that Mount Everest is not the tallest peak in the world.
Ans: If my friend argues with me that Mount Everest is not the tallest peak in the world, I will counter-argue as I have read it in books and even on the internet that Mount Everest is the tallest peak in the world and hence prove them wrong.
(d) A stranger at your door claims to be a magician and promises your mother
to turn all her silver jewellery into gold.
Ans: If a stranger at my door claims to be a magician and promises my mother to turn all her silver jewelry into gold, I will not entertain and believe him and will not allow him inside my house.
2. What do you notice about the following pairs of words ?
- act naturally
- liquid gas
- open secret
- sound of silence
- sweet sorrow
- original copy
- only choice
- growing smaller
Ans: These words are a pair of opposites like the “open secret”. These contradictory terms appear together. They are used to create some sort of drama or laughter for the reader. They are called Oxymorons.
Now try to add a contradictory word to the following :
(a) What a …… mess you’ve got us into !
Ans: What a wonderful mess you’ve got us into!
(b) It’s a …… imitation of a diamond necklace.
Ans: It’s a genuine imitation of a diamond necklace.
(c) My trip to Matheran was a …… holiday.
Ans: My trip to Matheran was a working holiday.
(d) With such heavy make up, she looks …… ugly.
Ans: With such heavy make-up, she looks pretty ugly.
(e) A …… crowd gathered to see the magic show.
Ans: A tiny crowd gathered to see the magic show.
Note :- Contrasting words that go together are examples of the language device called Oxymoron.
In Between the Lesson!
Q1. What erroneous notion did Aristotle have? What does his example convey to you?
Ans: Aristotle had the erroneous notion that he knew that women had fewer teeth than men, when in fact he didn’t know. His example conveys to us that we must be cautious. We must not think that we know something but we must make the observation ourselves.
Q2. How can you prevent developing a dogmatic attitude ?
Ans: You can prevent yourself from developing a dogmatic attitude by becoming aware of opinions held in social circles different from your own.
Q3. What do you feel when –
(a) someone opposes your strong belief?
Ans: I generally get angry but later on I think about it and try to analyse the whole issue.
(b) someone insists that 2+2 =5?
Ans: I merely laugh at him/her or feel pity at his/her ignorance.
Q4. What two examples does the writer give to those who have opinions that flatter their self- esteem?
Ans: The writer says that if a man points out that most poets and men of science are a woman can say that most criminals are also male. The second example he gives is that of general human conceit. For this, we need to remind ourselves that other parts of the cosmos may contain beings as superior to ourselves as we are to jelly-fish.
Q5. What is the only way to tackle such self- pride?
Ans: The only way to tackle such self-pride is to remind ourselves that man is a brief episode in the life of a small planet in a little corner of the universe, and that other parts of the cosmos may contain beings as superior to ourselves as we are to jelly-fish.
Q6. What two evils does fear lead to ? How can one overcome fear ?
Ans: Two evils that fear leads us to are superstition and cruelty. One can overcome fear by firstly admitting one’s own fears to oneself and then guarding oneself against their myth-making power.
Q7. What is the aim of primitive magic ?
Ans: The aim of primitive magic is to secure safety, either by injuring enemies or by protecting oneself by talismans, spells or incantations.
Q8. How did the prophetess befool her believers ?
Ans: The prophetess announced to her numerous followers that she possessed the power of walking on water, and that she proposed to do so at 11 o’clock on a certain morning. On that day, she asked them whether they were all convinced that she could walk on water. When they replied in the affirmative, she said that then there was no need for her to prove herself. Thus she fooled her believers.
ENGLISH WORKSHOP
1. The following expressions are a combination of a noun preceded by a describing word. Replace the describing words with as many others as you can, that go with the underlined nouns.
eg. for (a) silly mistake, grave mistake, careless mistake, obvious mistake, etc.
(a) fatal mistake
Ans: silly mistake, grave mistake, careless mistake, obvious mistake, etc.
(b) foreign customs
Ans: unhealthy customs, native customs, interesting customs, traditional customs.
(c) unappetizing diet
Ans: nutritious diet, healthy diet, unhealthy diet, strict diet.
(d) plentiful supply
Ans: sufficient supply, regular supply, continuous supply, irregular supply.
(e) simple device
Ans: complicated device, expensive device, helpful device, useless device.
(f) savage controversy
Ans: raging controversy, heated controversy, unending controversy, fierce controversy.
(g) modern technique.
Ans: cunning plan, thoughtful plan, well-made plan, secret plan.
(h) foolish custom
Ans: new custom, ancient custom. Indian custom, nice custom.
2. Use the following idioms/ expressions in sentences of your own.
(a) to be prone to
Ans: We are prone to infections during monsoon.
(b) to have a difference of opinion
Ans: If you have a difference of opinion with someone, you must settle it pleasantly.
(c) to go beyond
Ans: The fight between the two women was going beyond the limits of decent behaviour.
(d) to have a beneficial effect
Ans: Exercising regularly has a beneficial effect on the body.
(e) to have a bias
Ans: We should not have a bias against foreign ideas.
(f) to undo
Ans: “Do not undo all the good that I have done.” said the psychiatrist to the woman.
(g) to be wary of
Ans: One should be wary of schemes which promise to make one rich overnight.
(h) under the influence
Ans: He committed the crime when he was under the influence of great anger.
3. Say ‘WHY’ ?
(a) One should avoid getting angry about a difference of opinion.
Ans: One should avoid getting angry about a difference of opinion because if one gets angry, it will show that one’s belief is going beyond what the evidence indicates or states.
(b) The writer found his stay abroad very profitable.
Ans: The writer found his stay abroad very profitable because it helped him to become aware of foreign ideas and customs and diminish the intensity of his insular prejudice.
(c) The writer grew less dogmatic and more open-minded.
Ans: When the writer was young, he lived for some time outside his country. He became aware of foreign ideas and customs. This made him grow less dogmatic and more open-minded.
(d) Men declaring that they are Saints write letters to the writer.
Ans: The writer is a renowned person. The men who declare themselves as saints want the writer to mention them in his lectures so that they get some free publicity. Hence they write letters to the writer.
(e) The writer claims that all false beliefs need not be replaced by cold science.
Ans: The writer claims that all false beliefs need not be replaced by cold science because if this is done, the world would lose some of its interest and variety.
4. Make sentences of your own to show the difference of usage of the following Homophones.
(a) device
Ans: Today, we make use of various devices to help us.
devise
Ans: Mothers must devise ways of keeping their children out of mischief.
(b) advice
Ans: It is very easy to give advice but difficult to follow it.
advise
Ans: The teacher advised the girl not to waste time.
(c) practice
Ans: Dowry is an evil practice prevalent in India.
practise
Ans: I have to practise every day if I want to win the dance competition..
5. When a family member is very ill for long, the grandmother of the family urges everyone to send for a person who claims he can cure victims of black magic. Compose a dialogue with her, in which her granddaughter politely convinces her that she should not believe in such things.
Ans:
Grandmother: What a situation! Now that you have tried all your fancy modern medicines, listen to me. Call Cureybaba.
Granddaughter: Who is he? Never heard of him.
Grandmother: I am certain that your mother is the victim of black magic. Cureybaba will cure her. You saw him at our neighbour’s house a few days back. He is bald and …
Granddaughter: Grandma. for Heavens Sake! Mom was ill, no doubt. but her illness has been diagnosed and it is easily curable! There are plenty of medicines in the market.
Grandmother: She’s been ill for so long now! Granddaughter: Oh. Grandma, only for two months! The diagnosis took long.
Grandmother: Cureybaba will cure her in one sitting.
Granddaughter: Listen, Granny dear, all these people are all frauds. If your Cureybaba was so good, why doesn’t he get some hair on his head – we know he wears a wig- or cure his horrible cough? Why doesn’t he cure his own mother who is so ill? And has he cured that poor little girl next door? No, he hasn’t. He’s a fraud, Granny.
Grandmother: But… but
Granddaughter: Granny, there’s no such thing as black magic. You know that full well. You have seen enough of these ‘babas’ being exposed. Then why …
Grandmother: Oh, OK. If you say your mother’s illness can be cured by modern medicines easily, I will forget Cureybaba and black magic. Now that I come to think of it, our other neighbour was telling me how he cheated somebody the other day…
Granddaughter: There you are, Granny!
6. List the various ways of avoiding error mentioned in the passage.
Ans: The various ways of avoiding error are :
(i) make observations yourself
(ii) make yourself aware of your bias
(iii) be on your guard when you find yourself getting angry about a difference of opinion.
(iv) become aware of opinions held in social circles different from your own
(v) travel, and if you cannot, seek out people with whom you disagree and talk to them.
(vi) to have imaginary arguments with people having different bias.
(vii) to be wary of opinions that flatter your self- esteem.
(viii) to try to conquer fear.
(ix) to avoid fear in various ways.
7. Answer the following questions :
(a) If an opinion contrary to your own makes you angry, what does it indicate ?
Ans: If an opinion contrary to my own makes me angry, it indicates that I am subconsciously aware of having no good reason for thinking as I do.
(b) What are the most savage controversies about ?
Ans: The most savage controversies are about those matters as to which there is no good evidence either way.
(c) What are the benefits of travel ?
Ans: Travelling helps you to become aware of foreign ideas and customs. You begin to accept them and get rid of your own dogmatic attitude.
(d) Is the influence of foreign customs always beneficial ?
Ans: No, not always. Very often, the influence of foreign customs can be harmful and we must be cautious while following them.
(e) What are the advantages of an imaginary argument with a person having a different bias?
Ans: The advantage of an imaginary argument with a person having a different bias is that it is not subject to the limitations of time and space. One can have this argument at any time and at any place.
(f) Why should one be wary of opinions that flatter one’s self- esteem?
Ans: One should be wary of opinions that flatter one’s self-esteem because there may be opinions with abundant evidence to prove the exact opposite to what one believes.
(g) How does fear lead us to error ?
Ans: Fear leads us to error by making us do things like inventing rumours of disaster in wartime, imagining objects of terror, such as ghosts, or by creating belief in something comforting, like the elixir of life, or heaven for ourselves and hell for our enemies.
(h) What are the two ways of avoiding fear ?
Ans: The two ways of avoiding fear are:
(i) by persuading ourselves that we are immune from disaster and
(ii) by the practice of sheer courage.
8. What is the meaning of ‘intellectual rubbish’?
Ans: This is an oxymoron, where the writer has used contrasting or contradictory words that go together. The writer uses the phrase to describe all false beliefs, baseless opinions, dogmatism, fears and superstitions of various kinds, etc. People follow certain beliefs, ideas, and customs without inquiring into their validity. Sometimes, many of these beliefs and customs lead to evil and suffering in the world.
9. Find the opposites of the following :
cautious
Ans: reckless
dogmatic
Ans: open-minded
contrary
Ans: same
savage
Ans: mild
beneficial
Ans: harmful
reasonable
Ans: unreasonable
hypothetical
Ans: real
cruelty
Ans: kindness
immune
Ans: vulnerable
10. Write an imaginary dialogue contesting opposite views on a topic of your choice, e.g., ‘Girls should learn to do all the housework and not boys.’
Ans:
(Two housewives Manisha and Arpita are debating whether Girls should learn to do all the housework or not.)
Manisha: Hello Arpita, you seem a little worried. What is it that is bothering you?
Arpita: Yes, dear, I am worried about my daughter Tara.
Manisha: But why are you worried about Tara. She is such a special and sweet child. She is so brilliant in her academics. She will be a doctor in two more years. You should be so proud of her.
Arpita: I know she is a great kid and I am very proud of her but the other day while we were in the kitchen, I insisted that she also learned cooking as it would help her after marriage when she goes to live with her husband and his family. She simply refused and said she would rather have her husband do the cooking for her.
Manisha: She must have said that jokingly, besides your daughter is studying to be a doctor and not a cook or a servant. Today women are becoming fiercely independent. They are not content being housewives and mothers. They have bigger and more important roles to play in society.
Arpita: But we are Indian women, serving the other members of the family should come naturally to us. Who will look after the child if not the mother? Who will tend to the needs of the family if not the woman?
Manisha: A woman can still love and care for her family without being a housewife. Besides, why should girls do all the housework, why not boys? Why can’t men and women be equal? Tara may have said it jokingly but why can’t her future husband do the cooking for her. Do you want your daughter to be a wife to a husband or a slave to a cruel master?
Arpita: I understand dear but I still can’t stop worrying about her future as I am her mother. You know how prejudiced this society is against women.
Manisha: We cannot let our children live in the shadow of fear and slavery that has probably engulfed us already. I always tell my own son Virat to treat girls with adulation and respect, to see them as his equals. If a woman decides to work and a man decides to do household work, there is absolutely nothing embarrassing or wrong about it.
Arpita: You are so right. I guess I am worrying unnecessarily. My daughter is my pride and by God’s grace, she will do very well in life, wherever she goes, whatever she does. I shouldn’t bother myself with such stupid thoughts.
Manisha: Exactly, you are simply stressed out.