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"Dear Marilyn,

Is there a word for a person who does not accept facts that challenge his or her beliefs?

Yes, and it's "normal." The great majority of people share this trait. The more these beliefs define your life, the more you will spin everything your way. To become a thinker instead of a believer, a fundamental step is to disassociate yourself from any political party."

From "Ask Marilyn"

Q, What is the difference between ignorance and innocence?

A. If you're 2 years old and you overturn your plate of spaghetti onto your head at a fine restaurant, it's innocence. If you're 32 years old, it's ignorance. The reverse is the case for the person who took you there each time.

Q. What characteristics would you look for to evaluate a person's intellectual ability?

A. If a person knows "what" happens, they have average ability; if they know "how" it happens, they have superior ability; if they know "why" it happens, they have exceptional ability.

Q. Is it true that no two snowflakes are exactly alike?

A. Probably, but no people and no parakeets and no pickles are exactly alike either. We don't walk around looking at trees, for example, and saying to ourselves, "Gee, out of the thousands and thousands of trees I've seen in my life, I've never seen two identical trees!" So why is it such a big deal for snowflakes?

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