Recognizing your ignorance is the beginning of all wisdom

‘Ignorance as the Root of All Risks’The creation and amplification of societal risks stem from a carefully orchestrated ignorance imposed by the elite class. How can society recognize and reverse such ignorance to prevent the escalation of these dangers?

Recognizing Ignorance as Power

‘Understanding the Ignorance Paradox’In an age of abundant information, ignorance proliferates. This paradox is exacerbated by misinformation and the weaponization of rhetoric. What societal changes are needed to embrace truth over manipulated ignorance?

The Framework of Ignorance

‘Media Consolidation and Ignorance Creation’Six corporations control 90% of U.S. media, influencing public opinion to preserve elite interests. How can individuals critically engage with media to resist manipulation and misinformation?

The Elite’s Control of Politics and Media

‘The Cost of Climate Ignorance’The fossil fuel industry has turned climate science into a partisan issue, delaying reform.Can reversing this ignorance help us implement the urgent solutions the planet desperately needs?

Ignorance and Climate Change

‘Wealth Inequality and Ignorance’The elite class manipulates economic policies to amplify their wealth at the expense of others. How can we restructure the economy to prioritize equity over elite profit?

The Economics of Ignorance

‘Weaponized Ignorance in Racial Systems’From the War on Drugs to mass incarceration, racial inequality is perpetuated through intentional misinformation. How can dismantling these false narratives lead to justice and equality?

Racism and Systemic Ignorance

‘The Silence of Research’Legislation like the Dickey Amendment has suppressed research on gun violence, keeping the public ignorant. How can reversing ignorance on this issue lead to meaningful gun control policies?

Gun Violence and Ignorance Preservation

‘The Public Health Ignorance Epidemic’Obesity, mental health, and other crises are exacerbated by a lack of accessible, truthful information. What role can education and transparent policy play in addressing these risks?

Health Crises in the Age of Misinformation

‘The Antidote to Ignorance’To combat the risks of ignorance, society must adopt a “culture for others” that values collective well-being over individualism. How can this cultural shift be initiated and sustained?

Building a Culture for Others

“In ‘If Only We Knew’, emerging scholar Peter S. Baron embraces a generational project to contemplate the theoretical foundations necessary for building individual and cultural resilience through community-, species-, and planet-level consciousness.” - Scott M. Lacy Ph.D.

If Only We Knew illustrates why and how a group of ultra-wealthy Americans-the "elite class"-have been able to leverage their influence over the media and political spheres to intentionally spread false ideas among the public. This book explains how the widespread acceptance of these false ideas leads to the creation and amplification of risks posed by social problems. Why would the elite intentionally accentuate the risks of social problems? In If Only We Knew, Peter S. Baron answers this question by demonstrating that while this creation and amplification of the risks posed by social problems endangers and exploits the public, it deliberately serves the socioeconomic interests of the elite. The survival of the elite class wholly depends on the existence of widespread ignorance. Illuminating the malicious intentions of the elite is the first step to reversing ignorance and eliminating risks. To create a society in which all can thrive, Baron calls for a national commitment to the values of forgiveness, compassion, long-term "infinite-thinking", and selflessness. If Only We Knewoffers a refreshingly bold framework within which we can understand and solve the problems facing society in the 21st century. PRAISE FOR IF ONLY WE KNEW "While the issues he addresses in If Only We Knew are not new, Baron's voice is, and remarkably, it's a voice that's 'just' twenty years old as the book is released." - Reggie Marra, cofounder, Fully Human at Work, and author, Enough with the Talking Points, Killing America, and (forthcoming in 2022) Healing America's Narratives: Owning and Integrating Our National Shadow "Peter Baron's work provides hope that a better way is possible if we think more deeply about our own relationship to information, language, and knowledge." - Dr. Tiffany Wilgar Professor of Rhetoric and Composition Fairfield University "Baron's well written exploration for what is just, leaves us all thinking about one critically significant question: have we all been manipulated to contribute to society's flaws or inspired to reengineer old standards and modernize systems that give rise to humanity and individual capacity in today's age of personalization?"- Glenn Llopis, President of GLLG, Founder of the Age of Personalization Movement and Leadership Strategy Contributor to Forbes

If Only We Knew

Dean Pagano