When dogma disappears, progress follows

The annual two sessions always provide an opportunity for reflection, a moment to re-examine past assumptions and change course for the better. The trouble is that we humans often stick to old ways just because they are familiar, not necessarily because they are right.

Nothing characterizes human behavior more than dogmatism, the habit of clinging ferociously to an inherited idea and closing off discussion, even in the face of good evidence to the contrary.

Dogmatism can be deadly. Wars, especially religious ones, are usually fought because at least one party is absolutely certain that its view of the world is the only correct one.