Ignorance is bliss.

[HerbertSu]

The people that believe to be smarter than ignorant people are just ignorant of others that are way smarter than themselves. Ignorance is bliss because what you don't know can't hurt you. It doesn't put a face on an overwhelming problem and it allows you to enjoy everything else. Being ignorant is not always a horrible thing, it can actually keep a person from worrying about every little detail of their lives.

[zapatos]

The people that believe to be smarter than ignorant people are just ignorant of others that are way smarter than themselves. Ignorance is bliss because what you don't know can't hurt you. It doesn't put a face on an overwhelming problem and it allows you to enjoy everything else. Being ignorant is not always a horrible thing, it can actually keep a person from worrying about every little detail of their lives.

Tell that to the train hurtling toward you from behind as you wallow in ignorant bliss, walking down the tracks listening to your ipod.

[HerbertSu]

If I didn't see it coming then I'm sure that death would have been quick and painless, therefore allowing me to die while on a nice stroll down a secluded area with my mind on nothing but my music.

[too-open-minded]

LOL^^^

 

I respect your argument that ignorance is bliss.

 

It truly is, if the only person you ever want to help in life is yourself.

[dimreepr]

If I didn't see it coming then I'm sure that death would have been quick and painless, therefore allowing me to die while on a nice stroll down a secluded area with my mind on nothing but my music.

 

 

Wow that’s a tremendously selfish position to take, give a thought for the train driver.

 

http://www.thisisdorset.net/news/4547664.The_worst_nightmare_of_every_train_driver/

 

 

[sophie]

ignorance of things about which nothing can be done is indeed bliss... but if something can be done, then better know it as soon as possible. coz either it'll harm you and others, or u'll feel bad when u finally know it and its too late to do anything

[Phi for All]

If I didn't see it coming then I'm sure that death would have been quick and painless, therefore allowing me to die while on a nice stroll down a secluded area with my mind on nothing but my music.

OK, it's not a train, it's the glass of antifreeze you're about to drink because it tastes so sweet. You're ignorant of it's toxicity and you will NOT be able to keep your mind on your music as your kidneys cease to function and you slowly die. And it's really too bad, because with just a bit more lack of ignorance, you could be blissfully having a large scotch and letting the ethanol block the enzyme your body is using to metabolize all that ethylene glycol.

 

To me, life is all about learning as much as possible, removing as much ignorance as you possibly can so you can prepare for problems you may encounter, do as much as you deem necessary to keep yourself safe. A little worry keeps us healthy, and a minimum of ignorance gives us the tools to ensure that we needn't worry to excess.

[Iota]

It doesn't put a face on an overwhelming problem.

 

In most cases, people do put a face on overwhelming problems they don't understand. So why not just put the correct face on it? Why not just learn to deal with the fact that problems exist, instead of living like they're not there?

 

 

 

[Moontanman]

Ignorance can indeed be bliss, but knowledge is power and when ignorance bites you the new knowledge can help you over come the problem. Not not knowing something doesn't make it unreal or nonexistent it just keeps you from dealing with it in a proactive manner...

[John Cuthber]

OK, it's not a train, it's the glass of antifreeze you're about to drink because it tastes so sweet. You're ignorant of it's toxicity and you will NOT be able to keep your mind on your music as your kidneys cease to function and you slowly die. And it's really too bad, because with just a bit more lack of ignorance, you could be blissfully having a large scotch and letting the ethanol block the enzyme your body is using to metabolize all that ethylene glycol.

 

To me, life is all about learning as much as possible, removing as much ignorance as you possibly can so you can prepare for problems you may encounter, do as much as you deem necessary to keep yourself safe. A little worry keeps us healthy, and a minimum of ignorance gives us the tools to ensure that we needn't worry to excess.

Hang on.

The fact that you are slowly dying painfully will indicate to you that you did something wrong.

So you are no longer ignorant. You would be very much aware of it.

So the lack of bliss in that circumstance is not an exception to the assertion in the title.

Imagine that you are enjoying the sweet taste of the glycol when you are struck by lightning.

Your blissful ignorance of the toxicity is never brought to a halt by the pain (and hence knowledge) of being poisoned.

[HerbertSu]

OK, it's not a train, it's the glass of antifreeze you're about to drink because it tastes so sweet. You're ignorant of it's toxicity and you will NOT be able to keep your mind on your music as your kidneys cease to function and you slowly die. And it's really too bad, because with just a bit more lack of ignorance, you could be blissfully having a large scotch and letting the ethanol block the enzyme your body is using to metabolize all that ethylene glycol.

 

To me, life is all about learning as much as possible, removing as much ignorance as you possibly can so you can prepare for problems you may encounter, do as much as you deem necessary to keep yourself safe. A little worry keeps us healthy, and a minimum of ignorance gives us the tools to ensure that we needn't worry to excess.

 

 

I think you are confusing ignorance with stupidity but I will argue that even if I somehow were to happen upon a bottle of antifreeze and just chugged it (because we all know that everybody in the entire world always drinks any type of liquid they find), for that brief moment I would be happy because it tasted so good. And the rest of my argument has already been made by the person above me, whom I thank.

 

In most cases, people do put a face on overwhelming problems they don't understand. So why not just put the correct face on it? Why not just learn to deal with the fact that problems exist, instead of living like they're not there?

 

 

 

 

When people KNOW something it doesn't mean they're ignorant. It in fact means the total opposite of ignorance. Just because you don't know something doesn't mean you don't care about it, it just means it hasn't crossed your path. When you say "living like they're not there" you are implying that the person acknowledges the problem but chooses to not do anything about it, which is not ignorance but denial.

[Greg H.]

The point that seems to be missing here is that ignorance is only blissful until it's rudely interrupted by reality. Things like being ignorant of the local wildlife while you're out walking and then getting a poisonous, but non-fatal, snake bite. Your ignorance, in this case, will hurt. And quite a bit. If you're lucky you won't lose a limb due to necrosis.

 

There is a point at which ignorance and stupidity are one and the same. Not knowing what you don't know is ignorance. Actively avoiding new knowledge is not.

[HerbertSu]

Ignorance can indeed be bliss, but knowledge is power and when ignorance bites you the new knowledge can help you over come the problem. Not not knowing something doesn't make it unreal or nonexistent it just keeps you from dealing with it in a proactive manner...

 

I agree that knowledge can be power but it can also be fatal. In Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, Victor Frankenstein acquires the knowledge to make a collage of various human parts come alive. This knowledge then proceeds to ruin his life. Knowledge about an issue is not always good.

 

If you had a million dollars but you had no idea that you had it, would you really have a million dollars? Better yet if you were a million dollars in debt but never found out about it, would you actually be in debt?

[Greg H.]

If you had a million dollars but you had no idea that you had it, would you really have a million dollars? Better yet if you were a million dollars in debt but never found out about it, would you actually be in debt?

 

Yes. Although it would be funny to see someone try and defend ignorance of their assets during a tax audit.

 

"But I didn't know I had the money, so it doesn't count, right?"

[studiot]

Ignorance is bliss.

 

Like all old sayings it has its domain of applicability and is invalid outside that domain. which is why there is often a counter saying.

 

Such as 'if a job is worth doing it is worth doing properly'. I expect there are others.

 

I remember someone when I was at university has this beat up old philips tape recorder and a huge selection of music of poor sound quality recorded of the radio or anywhere he could get it.

To the Avant Garde students, who were trying to get HiFi the sound was unacceptably poor. But to this person ignorance was indeed bliss - he genuinely didn't know any better and was much happier than those who were never satisfied.

[John Cuthber]

I agree that knowledge can be power but it can also be fatal. In Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, Victor Frankenstein acquires the knowledge to make a collage of various human parts come alive. This knowledge then proceeds to ruin his life. Knowledge about an issue is not always good.

 

You do know that's just a made up story don't you?

As such, it's not terribly convincing evidence.

[Phi for All]

Hang on.

The fact that you are slowly dying painfully will indicate to you that you did something wrong.

So you are no longer ignorant. You would be very much aware of it.

So the lack of bliss in that circumstance is not an exception to the assertion in the title.

You're ignorant. How do you know that you're dying because of something you did, much less that it was that tasty sweet drink you had hours ago? Maybe it was that gun you were playing with earlier, or the cigarettes you've been smoking because the ads told you how cool you'd look and how satisfied you'd be. It's probably not that wonderful new cleaning solution you made using bleach and ammonia....

 

Imagine that you are enjoying the sweet taste of the glycol when you are struck by lightning.

Your blissful ignorance of the toxicity is never brought to a halt by the pain (and hence knowledge) of being poisoned.

Too bad you were ignorant of the fact that you shouldn't drink your antifreeze while practicing your javelin throwing during a thunderstorm. When people are informed, carrying a metal pole around lightning would never have been the kind of concern that "keep a person from worrying about every little detail of their lives."

[John Cuthber]

"You're ignorant. How do you know that you're dying because of something you did, much less that it was that tasty sweet drink you had hours ago? "

You don't know what, but you know that something is wrong. So you have (some) knowledge so you are not ignorant.

Anyway I'm off on holiday soon so I don't care.

[Phi for All]

You don't know what, but you know that something is wrong. So you have (some) knowledge so you are not ignorant.

I consider this the height of ignorance. You know something is wrong and you may be dying, but you have no idea why or what caused it.

 

Edit to add: ... and you believe it would harm your bliss to find out.

 

Anyway I'm off on holiday soon so I don't care.

So you're not ignorant that travel can be dangerous but you're off for some bliss anyway? Have a good time and try not to let your vast knowledge make you worry about every little detail of your life.

Edited July 18, 2012 by Phi for All
added info

[HerbertSu]

Yes. Although it would be funny to see someone try and defend ignorance of their assets during a tax audit.

 

"But I didn't know I had the money, so it doesn't count, right?"

 

The key phrase in my example was "but never found out about it".

 

You do know that's just a made up story don't you?

As such, it's not terribly convincing evidence.

 

It may be a made up story but it contains a very real message. This is a novel of comparable literary merit and has been around for about 200 years and got up there for having a story that related to human society even back when it was published and up till this very day. If you don't agree then you can take it up with college board.

 

You're ignorant. How do you know that you're dying because of something you did, much less that it was that tasty sweet drink you had hours ago? Maybe it was that gun you were playing with earlier, or the cigarettes you've been smoking because the ads told you how cool you'd look and how satisfied you'd be. It's probably not that wonderful new cleaning solution you made using bleach and ammonia....

 

 

Too bad you were ignorant of the fact that you shouldn't drink your antifreeze while practicing your javelin throwing during a thunderstorm. When people are informed, carrying a metal pole around lightning would never have been the kind of concern that "keep a person from worrying about every little detail of their lives."

 

If you feel ill you're certainly going to visit the doctor. Your argument only works if the person feels like they're dying but still doesn't go see a doctor. Even if this is the case, its not because they're ignorant but because they acknowledged an issue and decided to do nothing about it.

 

Your other arguments are just examples of plain stupidity (the people in the examples not the person making them) but I will argue them anyways. For the person that was drinking antifreeze; they were happy, if only for a moment, from their satisfying drink; the person throwing javelins during a thunderstorm, that sounds like a pretty badass training tactic to me and if it makes him happy to run around throwing sticks than be my guest.

 

'carrying a metal pole around lightning would never have been the kind of concern that "keep a person from worrying about every little detail of their lives."' The EXACT same argument can be made for people that are ignorant of the situation, but what's different about this argument than yours is that its better! Thank you for agreeing! Have a great day !

 

I consider this the height of ignorance. You know something is wrong and you may be dying, but you have no idea why or what caused it.

 

Edit to add: ... and you believe it would harm your bliss to find out.

 

 

So you're not ignorant that travel can be dangerous but you're off for some bliss anyway? Have a good time and try not to let your vast knowledge make you worry about every little detail of your life.

 

I just had to add this, acknowledging an issue but not doing anything about it is not ignorance!!!!!!!!! You know that this is happening but choose not to do anything about it.

 

Lets say you were to go on a dreaded vacation with your family or loved one. You turn out to have the best time of your life and was never as content as you were on your away time. On your way home you feel extremely blissful when, all of a sudden, you die from any random act of the universe (you get sucked in by a black hole and crushed into a an infinitely small speck if you want an example) but it happens so fast you don't feel a thing. Now we go back in time to before you hopped on that plane, boat, car or whatever to your vacation and have no idea about how happy you will be. You have just been informed that you will inevitably die (and remember this is just an example, I don't mean anything else by it) on your way home from this trip by this overwhelming force that nothing can escape. Now that you are armed with this information, what will you do? You are not ignorant any more are you?

 

Food for thought .

[Phi for All]

Thank you for agreeing!

Oh, I don't agree with you at all. I choose knowledge over ignorance every time.

 

Your big gripe about knowledge is that it makes you worry about every little detail. Worry is not always a bad thing, and can help you find a way to beat an "overwhelming problem". Your odds of beating that problem are much greater if you know about it than if you don't.

 

It all comes down to being able to prepare for what can happen. You do your preparation, whatever makes you feel safe enough, and then you enjoy your life, knowing that forewarned is forearmed. And if there's an asteroid coming our way that's going to wipe out all life no matter what we do, well, I want to know that too. As Kirk said to Saavik in Wrath of Khan, "How we face death is at least as important as how we face life." I choose to face both with knowledge.

[Greg H.]

The key phrase in my example was "but never found out about it".

 

 

I fail to see how that should change my answer. Your lack of knowledge does nothing to change the fact that the money (or debt) exists. All that has changed is that you will now have no idea why the IRS (or a court agent with a summons) will appear on your doorstep asking you answer some questions. And as you won't know why they're there, you will have no idea how to prepare for the questions, which means your willful ignorance is going to cost you a great deal.

[John Cuthber]

The arrival of the IRS agent ends the ignorance and the bliss simultaneously.

 

I don't need to plan how to answer the questions: I just answer them honestly.

It worked once...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-16740033

[Greg H.]

The arrival of the IRS agent ends the ignorance and the bliss simultaneously.

 

I don't need to plan how to answer the questions: I just answer them honestly.

It worked once...

http://www.bbc.co.uk...ngland-16740033

 

But the real question becomes how do you answer them at all when you don't know the answers? Your ignorance of the information doesn't end just because someone knocked on your door. You don't suddenly possess new information concerning this pile of money, save that it exists and is, apparently yours. You still have no idea where it came from, why it's yours, etc. Yet, I suspect that you would have quite a hard time convincing the nice auditor of this, true or not.

 

Hmm, there's an interesting concept. Are ignorance and bliss both reduced by the same amount? Or are they really two independent variables that are completely unrelated to each other? Is it possible that your bliss could be reduced by a greater amount than your ignorance in a given case?

[HerbertSu]

Oh, I don't agree with you at all. I choose knowledge over ignorance every time.

 

Your big gripe about knowledge is that it makes you worry about every little detail. Worry is not always a bad thing, and can help you find a way to beat an "overwhelming problem". Your odds of beating that problem are much greater if you know about it than if you don't.

 

It all comes down to being able to prepare for what can happen. You do your preparation, whatever makes you feel safe enough, and then you enjoy your life, knowing that forewarned is forearmed. And if there's an asteroid coming our way that's going to wipe out all life no matter what we do, well, I want to know that too. As Kirk said to Saavik in Wrath of Khan, "How we face death is at least as important as how we face life." I choose to face both with knowledge.

 

Well wouldn't not knowing a problem even existed beat the problem all together? Why live life worrying about every single outcome. Preparing for stuff that most likely will never happen. What is the definition of "safe enough"? Give me an example of "safe enough" and I promise you I can find a way around it.

 

Your little example of an asteroid headed our way, do you really think the best thing to do is to tell 7 billion people that they are all going to die and there is nothing that they can do about it? Would it not be better to let them live what little time they had left in whatever blissful moment they can cling on to?

 

I fail to see how that should change my answer. Your lack of knowledge does nothing to change the fact that the money (or debt) exists. All that has changed is that you will now have no idea why the IRS (or a court agent with a summons) will appear on your doorstep asking you answer some questions. And as you won't know why they're there, you will have no idea how to prepare for the questions, which means your willful ignorance is going to cost you a great deal.

 

I repeat the key phrase in my example was "BUT NEVER FOUND OUT ABOUT IT." An IRS agent coming to your door to NOTIFY you is, I'm pretty sure, FINDING OUT ABOUT IT. Here's one that has been around for a while and can convey almost the same message;

 

"If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?"

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_a_tree_falls_in_a_forest