In every field of human endeavor—religion, economics, politics, and scholarship—there is a temptation to rely on secondhand knowledge. It feels safe, it feels convenient, but it is profoundly dangerous. Secondhand commentary not only distorts the truth; it also blinds us to reality and opens the door to errors with consequences that stretch across nations and generations. From theology to international policy, from economic reform to ideological conflict, the lesson is clear: nothing can replace firsthand study, serious engagement, and intellectual humility.

Faith, Theology, and the Dangers of Superficial Judgments

As a Protestant Christian, I recognize the Catholic Church as the historical and institutional expression of Christianity. But what troubles me deeply are the careless, secondhand remarks often made about faith. Genuine understanding of any religion cannot come from conjecture or hearsay; it requires direct engagement with theology and primary sources.

When I was younger, I studied both Catholic and Protestant theology in a systematic way. Before embracing Christianity, I also explored Buddhism and read the Qur’an. These encounters convinced me of one truth: no one has the right to speak authoritatively about a faith tradition without first grappling with its texts and doctrines. Secondhand commentary on religion is not only inadequate—it can be profoundly misleading.

Everyone bears responsibility for their own thinking. Attempts to impose shallow views on others reveal arrogance and a fundamental absence of respect. Such reliance on secondhand reasoning, combined with what Friedrich Hayek once called “the fatal conceit,” undermines genuine dialogue. True intellectual engagement requires humility and recognition of the limits of one’s own knowledge.

Economics, Reform, and the Weight of Misrepresentation

This problem is not limited to theology. Consider Argentina. Anyone familiar with its recent economic context—or even readers of centrist outlets like The Economist—knows that opposition to President Milei’s reforms comes not only from ideology but from entrenched disputes over privilege and distribution of economic benefits.

Global economic commentary has largely welcomed Milei’s agenda. By contrast, some Spanish media—driven by partisan loyalties—publish attacks written by figures from Argentina’s traditional right, individuals who have long-standing personal battles with Milei. To evaluate Argentina’s reforms based on these partial, secondhand accounts is to abandon serious analysis.

It is also worth noting that many of Milei’s proposals are not exclusively “Austrian” in nature but rest on theoretical foundations widely accepted in mainstream microeconomics and macroeconomics. To dismiss them outright usually betrays not an economic argument, but a lack of grounding in theory.

Lessons from Nixon and Carter: When Policy Is Built on Filters

Even statesmen fall prey to secondhand illusions. Richard Nixon, despite his knowledge of Russian history, allowed himself to rely too heavily on filtered information about China. Much of what he heard came through Henry Kissinger—who did not speak Mandarin and had only a shallow grasp of Chinese culture. The result was a catastrophic misjudgment of the Chinese Communist Party, disappointing the Republic of China on Taiwan and betraying millions of Chinese seeking freedom.

President Jimmy Carter compounded this mistake by granting full diplomatic recognition to the CCP in 1979. From today’s perspective, this appears as one of the great blunders of American diplomacy. It illustrates the danger of substituting firsthand engagement with interpretations shaped by others.

Why Firsthand Knowledge Matters

This is why I recommend following the insights of Professor Miles Yu, former advisor to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. His analyses, grounded in both firsthand knowledge and linguistic competence, stand in stark contrast to the shallow commentary of partisans. As Hayek rightly warned, secondhand information has little value if we seek to understand the world accurately.

I am weary of analyses that condemn only the far right while ignoring the far left. Violence and censorship have not been confined to one side of the political spectrum. To maintain credibility, we must subject both extremes to critical scrutiny. Anything less is intellectual dishonesty.

Scholarship, Growth, and the Entrepreneurial Spirit of Learning

This principle applies equally in academia. In Spain, I often advise younger Austrian School scholars. Those who listen carefully, put suggestions into practice, and cultivate an “academic entrepreneurial spirit” achieve results—not only in publications and careers, but in their personal growth as thinkers.

I encourage them to travel widely, master English, and build friendships across cultural and ideological divides. I tell them to study social sciences seriously but also to gain literacy in the natural sciences and the quantitative methods of economics. Curiosity and courage are essential; without them, no scholar can rise above mediocrity.

Contradictions in Global Politics

Consider Vladimir Putin. He presents himself as a defender of “traditional Western values,” yet aligns with two of the most extreme left-wing totalitarian regimes in the East. The paradox is striking. But it is less puzzling if we recognize how easy it is to misjudge reality from a distance.

Those who never travel, never speak directly with people from different nations and traditions, and never seek firsthand experience inevitably fall victim to illusions. Reading only books by like-minded authors offers comfort but narrows vision. In the end, such detachment yields conclusions built on imagination, not reality.

Firsthand Encounters: What Travel Reveals

Between 2013 and 2019, I traveled almost yearly to the United States for academic visits and residencies. I lived in more than seven states—Michigan, California, New York, Alabama, Hawaii, and others. But the value was not merely geographical; it lay in the conversations.

I spoke face-to-face with Republicans and Democrats, MAGA supporters, Christian fundamentalists, white liberals, California left activists, and libertarians. Few people are willing to step into such diverse spaces. Yet I learned that people are far more complex, humane, and open in person than the caricatures painted by partisan media.

Hayek was right in Capitalism and the Historians (1954): secondhand information is always distorted. Only firsthand dialogue reveals nuance, warmth, and humanity.

Language, Scholarship, and Sinology

Renowned American sinologist Perry Link has long observed that US policy toward the CCP suffers because many “China experts” do not speak Mandarin fluently. They cannot read original CCP documents, nor can they test propaganda against the Chinese language itself. Robert Suettinger is among the rare Western scholars who can conduct deep analysis in Mandarin. His example is instructive.

For studies on Chinese politics, I only trust Western scholars fluent in Mandarin or Chinese scholars who can work fluently in English. As Hayek warned, secondhand knowledge is dangerous. The same holds true in theology, economics, politics, and international affairs.

Conclusion: Against the Comfort of Illusions

Secondhand knowledge is the currency of intellectual laziness. It comforts but misleads. Whether in debates about religion, evaluations of reform, or judgments on international politics, it narrows vision and distorts truth.

If we aspire to genuine understanding, we must leave our comfort zones. We must read primary texts, speak foreign languages, travel, and engage directly with those who differ from us. Only then can we defend liberty, confront the errors of socialism and state intervention, and resist the fatal conceit of those who think they know without ever having learned.

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How to Cite this Article (APA 7th edition)

Wang, H. H. (2025, September 8). The perils of secondhand knowledge: Socialism, state intervention, and intellectual responsibility. [Blog post]. William Hongsong Wang. https://williamhongsongwang.com/the-perils-of-secondhand-knowledge