The definition of ignorance from dictionary.com is:
The condition of being uneducated, unaware, or uninformed.From the above definition, there are three traits to discuss regarding being ignorant. The three traits are:
- Being uneducated
- Being unaware
- Being uninformed
Is being unaware bliss?
Is being uninformed bliss?
I have always had a need to understand things to a certain extent so I don't understand how many people can be happy denying themselves knowledge as so many people do.
Being Ignorant is Being Uneducated About a Topic
Your boss comes up to you and asks if you can do a particular task that requires a complicated piece of machinery and software. You do not know this machinery or software. As a result, you tell your boss you will be unable to do the task. Your boss seeks someone else and sticks them with the work.Now, is it blissful that your ignorance kept you from doing additional or a different kind of work?
What if your boss decides you are no longer necessary since you are indeed ignorant?
Would it still be blissful to be ignorant?
Being Ignorant is Being Unaware of a Topic
An example is that of cancer.What if you had cancer, but didn’t know it yet. How could you be blissful in your ignorance if you had no knowledge of the ignorance you possessed?
It would appear that ignorance could only be blissful if one was aware of said ignorance, thus making the ignorance only blissful in hindsight.
Being Ignorant is Being Uninformed About a Topic
A lot of people I know love South African Idol's, or golf, or sports in general.I could personally care less who wins South African Idol's, and I don’t follow sports.
Is my lack of knowledge of these topics blissful? Actually, for me it’s quite painful because I have no idea what people are talking about and I appear as the outsider.
Another example is of a murder that occurred in my neighbour hood of this politician.
I only found out about it, like a week later.
Even though the event happened near me, I was uninformed (and unaware) that something had happened. How could by ignorance be blissful in that circumstance?
Because I was unaware and uninformed? In hindsight, my ignorance could have caused me great harm had I ventured down the street, with helicopters in the air and cops.
QUOTES
The most violent element in society is ignorance. ~Emma Goldman
A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance. ~Saul Bellow
Genuine ignorance is... profitable because it is likely to be accompanied by humility, curiosity, and open mindedness; whereas ability to repeat catch-phrases, cant terms, familiar propositions, gives the conceit of learning and coats the mind with varnish waterproof to new ideas. ~John Dewey
Before we work on artificial intelligence why don't we do something about natural stupidity? ~Steve Polyak
It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument. ~William G. McAdoo
I would like to add the following with regard to ignorance and bliss....People (perhaps you are one of them) tend to live in their own bubble or "space". Insodoing we are also building walls around ourselves to protect us from negativity and hurt from the outside world. I would prefer to say that one is clever, farsighted and brave to always be in a blissful state of ignorance, thanks to this rancid world.. Enough
ReplyDeleteDon't we all live in a euphoric state of ignorance in some form or another?
ReplyDeleteBUT using ignorance to build a wall around us as a form of protection, can only take us that far, our ignorance can many times be our down side in life. Knowledge is power, we should strive to know our immediate life milieu, in order to not just protect ourselves but also elevate ourselves