We See Only With Our Eyes

Today the NYTimes Editorial Page includes two pieces commenting on the indictment of Scooter Libbery that prove the point of my title--that we see only with the aid of our background and experience:

• Robert Ray, successor to Ken Starr, uses Fitzgerald to say that regular prosecutors can do the job of investigating an administration's wrongdoings.
• Lanny Davis, attorney and spin doctor for Clinton, shows sympathy for the Bush people, remembering that he never worried about the classification status of the information he used to spin the story. He says both sides are using double standards and worrying about motives instead of facts. He also sees them as falling into the same trap of covering up and spinning, as opposed to admission.

The latter point also confirms another piece of my wisdom: it's rare for people to learn from other people's experience. Back when we had coal stoves, I bet there never was a child who didn't burn him/herself on the stove, even though they'd seen someone else be burned. It's our natural egoism; we know better than others, we'll never die.