Bigotry

As the fall semester begins, 15 professors from Yale, Princeton, and Harvard have published a letter of advice for the class of 2021. They urged students to think for themselves.

They say that pressure to conform to the dominant campus opinion is strong. The "tyranny of public opinion does more than merely discourage students from dissenting from prevailing views . . . It leads them to suppose that dominant views are so obviously correct that only a bigot or a crank could question them."

But a real bigot fears questions, fears "open-minded inquiry and robust debate," because he or she "is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices."

Therefore "open-mindedness, critical thinking, and debate are essential to discovering the truth . . they are our best antidotes to bigotry."

Good advice for students, and for all the rest of us, "Think for yourself" - and think things through.