Arrogance of the intellect.

If I ever start using my education and training as a foundation for arrogance, you MUST set me straight. This week I have come to the conclusion that, while not all of the economics professors here at GMU suffer from arrogance, far too many of them do. Included in the afflicted are all three professors that I have classes with this semester. Now, this arrogance takes several forms, but all have the same root - forming judgments and beliefs based on seriously flawed and/or incomplete information. Now don't get me wrong, all three men are brilliant, and I respect all of them, but all three have allowed their intellect to impair their ability, in some areas, to absorb information that doesn't fit with a preconceived idea of how things should be.
One professor emphatically does not believe evolution, and is able to rattle off many logical and factual problems with the theory, but neither does he believe in design by the Creator. Why? Because his back hurts, and other physical aliments observed around him, make him think that humans were not perfectly designed. His intellect cannot accept the notion of a Creator, therefore, no Creator exists. So what does he believe? Hmmm, good question. Not in evolution, and not in God (in any sense).
The next prof. allows his intellect to make snap judgments about political issues. Sometimes he seems to be on target, but more often his assumptions are simply incorrect. Though I think he realizes that he doesn't have all vital information, he feels that he has enough to act and believe as if he had all pertinent information. He doesn't.
The third professor blatantly assumes that the rules he plays by are the only proper, the only rational, rules by which to think and form opinions. If you can argue and win from within his rules he may accept your point, but heaven help you if you try to argue that one of his assumptions about rationality, morals, motives, or another such human aspect, is flawed. His fervent belief in his perfect conception of rationality is, ultimately, irrational.

Three forms of arrogance: "This doesn't fit into my preconceived opinion of how things should be, so it must not be true." "I don't need to know all the relevant information, I know enough to make a judgment." "My approach is the only rational and proper approach to use." All three are dangerous both in academic and personal life, yet all three are oh so easy to slip into - especially for the educated mind.