The blind leading the blind

De parabel der blinden

The parable of the blind: one blind person following another by touch with his stick and everyone ending up in the ditch.

The blind leading the blind
Used to describe a situation where a person who knows nothing is getting advice and help from another person who knows almost nothing.

Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

The Parable of the Blind

 

is a painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder,


created around 1568

Pieter Bruegel’s 1568 oil painting, often called The Parable of the Blind, is what appears to be

a literal depiction of a line of blind people following each other and stumbling into a ditch, as forecast in Matthew 15:14.

 “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind.

And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

In these words of Jesus, we see the guilt of those who are blind leaders of the blind.

We also see the responsibility of followers to make sure their leaders are not blind.

THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND

 
Uninformed and incompetent people leading others who are similarly incapable.

 

Abiding in the midst of ignorance, thinking themselves wise and learned, fools go aimlessly hither and thither, like blind led by the blind.

Volharden in onwetendheid, denkend wijs en geleerd, zoals gekken doelloos naar hier en daar, zoals de blinde de blinde leidt.

Three examples

Liam Allan
Diederik Stapel
Robert Jones
A rape prosecution against Liam Allan collapsed after vital evidence was revealed at the last minute

Liam Allan, a 22-year-old criminology student, falsely accused, impossible to put into words.

“The blind lead the blind” is a proverb that conveys several key points:

  1. Lack of knowledge or understanding: The proverb suggests that both the leader and the followers are ignorant or lacking in knowledge or understanding about a particular subject or situation. It implies that the leader is unable to provide proper guidance or direction because they themselves are unaware or uninformed.

  2. Lack of competence: The proverb also highlights the idea that the leader and followers may lack the necessary skills or competence to effectively navigate a situation. They may not have the expertise or experience needed to lead or make informed decisions, resulting in potential negative outcomes.

  3. Consequences of ignorance: The proverb implies that blindly following someone who is equally ignorant can result in disastrous consequences. It may lead to mistakes, errors, or misunderstandings that can further compound the problem or create confusion.

  4. Caution against blind trust: The proverb serves as a cautionary warning against blindly trusting others without verifying their competence or knowledge. It suggests the importance of critically evaluating the abilities and qualifications of those in leadership roles before following them blindly.

  5. Importance of seeking knowledge: The proverb underscores the significance of acquiring knowledge, gaining expertise, and being informed before attempting to lead or guide others. It highlights the need for leaders to be knowledgeable and competent in order to effectively guide their followers.

Overall, “The blind lead the blind” cautions against following leaders or advice blindly without questioning or verifying their competence and knowledge.

It emphasizes the importance of critical thinking, knowledge acquisition, and competency in leadership roles.

The phrase “It’s very difficult to find a black cat in a dark room, especially when there is no cat” is often attributed to the Chinese philosopher Confucius, although its actual origin is unclear. It is a proverbial expression that conveys several key points:

  1. Difficulty of the task: The phrase emphasizes that the task of finding a black cat in a dark room is inherently challenging. It highlights the level of difficulty and the potential obstacles one may face in trying to achieve a goal or find a solution to a problem.

  2. Lack of clarity: The darkness of the room symbolizes a lack of clarity or knowledge about the situation at hand. It suggests that when there is limited information or understanding available, it becomes even more challenging to accomplish a task or reach a goal.

  3. Futility of effort: The phrase “especially when there is no cat” points to the futility of searching for something that may not even exist. It highlights the possibility of investing time, effort, and resources into a pursuit that may have no tangible outcome.

  4. Importance of awareness: The expression underscores the need for awareness and discernment in dealing with challenges or problems. It suggests that being mindful of the situation, gathering information, and having a clear understanding of the task at hand are crucial for success.

  5. Humor and irony: The phrase also carries a humorous and ironic tone, as the idea of searching for a black cat in a dark room, especially when there is no cat, is inherently absurd. It can be used to highlight the irrationality or impracticality of certain endeavors.

Overall, the key points of this expression highlight the difficulty of achieving a goal or solving a problem when there is a lack of clarity, awareness, or tangible existence of the object of pursuit. It underscores the importance of being mindful, informed, and discerning in tackling challenges.

2 Short table of contents
 
  1. Part 1:

    Liam Allan: the perfect metaphor for the content in the bundle on paper.
    It’s just sheer incompetence according to the prosecuting barrister Jerry Hayes.

    Het is gewoon pure onkunde (onvermogen, onzin).
    C’est juste de l’incompétence pure et simple.

  2. Part 2:

    Diederik Stapel op de 6e plaats op de wereldranglijst voor wetenschapsfraude: compleet verzonnen onderzoek
    werd jarenlang prominent gepubliceerd o.a. in Science en hij kreeg een wereldvermaard podium!

    Diederik Stapel in 6th place on the world ranking for science fraud: completely fabricated research
    was prominently published for years, e.g. in Science, and he was given a world-famous podium!

  3. Part 3:
    Robert Jones wrongfully convicted.
    The whole story in a 5 minutes BBC video 2. 

 
 
Robert Jones: one of the worst racially inspired miscarriages of justitice

Robert Jones: one of the worst racially inspired miscarriages of justice ever

 

Liam Allan 

Diederik Stapel
Robert Jones


Three things that could not happen but became reality. 

One would imagine such a thing cannot happen until it becomes reality anyway.
Four curious examples:

 1 British Airways took off from London City Airport and landed in Edinburgh instead of Dusseldorf
   Please enjoy the video:    Wrong destination    
 2 F-16 pilot died due to faulty ejection seat.
 3 Slovenian family discovers after cremation that their father is alive after all.
 4 Simon Cowell & BGT Epically Pranked By Rapping Rabbi.

What could not happen and yet became reality is further made clear on the following web pages Wrongfully Imprisoned:
Micheal Morton

1 Drunk Baby Prank

17 okt. 2016

What kind of mother would pour pure rum in her baby’s bottle? The same kind of mom who loves to prank people 😉 
We’re telling you, it is a pretty good trick to make your lovely baby go to sleep in a matter of seconds.

Please enjoy the video’s and televisie broadcastings fullscreen

Fullscreen buttom right below in the window of the video after you start the video