Ignorance and Bliss -or- Knowledge and Misery?

[Fate Flyer]

Which would you choose? Would you rather live a happy, blissful life, completely ignorant to what's going on in the world and the truth about many things? Or, would you rather have a complete understanding of what's really going on, but face much hardship and depression because of it?

~

Personally, I would never choose ignorance over knowledge, even if it meant possibly being unhappier because of it. My entire life, even since when I was a very young, small child, I've always questioned things that cannot be explained. I've always been curious about the things that we don't know about, things that are controversial, things that some people on this planet do already know the truth about. I used to naively think when I was very little that when we die, we gain all this knowledge. Then, one day, another kid told me that if we have all the knowledge in the universe when we die, then we would be God, and only God has all the knowledge. Of course, this was back before I had formed my own beliefs which I have today. Now, not being a religious person, I know full well that I will never gain this knowledge that I crave.

To me, understanding things and knowing things and having an awareness about the world is a great insight that cannot be matched. Knowledge is everything. It is a power, a treasure, and one thing that we have to achieve in this world, in the ultimate grand scheme.

In reality, I fear that the governments know that most people would choose ignorance and bliss over knowledge, which is why so much is always being kept out of the public eye.

[Squall Reyes]

I blame my parents for my insatiable hunger for knowledge. It first started with reading, for some reason I found the history books of my parents much more entertaining than the kiddy stories we read in school. I can't stand not knowing the answer to a question and feverishly try and find answers. Now obviously there are somethings that cannot be explain and thanks to my spiritualism I can not chalk that up to something humans are just not meant to understand....yet.

What's also very difficult about knowledge is the window it opens into peoples personalities and the choices they make. (Though sometimes they seem to be able to surprise you still.) It can also be quite frustrating, like Fate said governments in the world are very aware of the majority of the public's acceptance of the status quo.

[Loki]

That recent ordeal of mine pretty much reinforced what I thought before. I'd rather know the truth than to go my entire life oblivious to what is really happening. Even if it hurts me like I've never been hurt before, not knowing has the potential of bringing that pain back ten-fold whenever the illusion comes crashing down around you, it always does.

Even on a less depressing topic as that, I think it is always better to know the truth. Advancement in every aspect of life only comes from facing the harsh reality rather than building a padded wall of ignorance around you. That is why I could never tolerate religious zealots, they are so eager to force their beliefs on you, but turn a deaf ear and a blind eye whenever you try sharing your beliefs back.

[Inerio]

I want to know everything. Which can get annoying at times. I'm pushy and nosy when I come to find that someone knows something that I do not. Some one once told me curiosity killed the cat, but I replied that last I checked I was a homosapien and thus hadn't much to worry about.

Ignorance is bliss, but ignorant people annoy the hell out of me. Admittedly I am young, and thus don't have a wealth of experience(oddly everyone else I know will argue the opposite when it comes to me), I own up to being an idiotic kid. Despite this I am one of the few my age who strive to figure out more of that which I don't know unlike many my peers.

I suppose this all comes down to the fact that I'm constantly questioning the possibility of life after death, and feel that in learning more about what goes on during life I'll one day discover the aftermath of death.

[Kathryn Lacey]

I would much rather have knowledge and sadness than ignorance and joy, but it's not so bad to be somewhere in between.

Let's go to the extremes of this:

People who are born with mental blocks- considered to be mentally challenged/clinically retarded/etc- are happy because they don't know any other way to be. They can't really function the way normal people can, but I almost always see them smiling.

Someone who is at a genius level, may be so intelligent that (s)he feels alone in the world because no one else has ever proven themselves to be as intelligent as them. I would take this over the former because I would rather be alone and able to completely function independently than the other choice.

There are many different kinds of intelligence, too. There are academic intelligence and common sense for starters.

However, I am somewhere in the middle. I'm ignorant about many things, but my brain is a sponge that is willing to absorb a great deal of things, and I love to learn. I have a good deal of both common sense and academic intelligence, and I value both greatly. I am not looking forward to becoming an old woman who loses her intelligence to the battle of age.

[Guest]

I've always had a desire to know. But part of that desire, obviously, comes from not knowing. It is the search, rather than the finding. So despite learning and constantly asking more questions, you are still living a life of ignorance. However, it is important never to settle for that, or you lose the point of living as a sentient being.

[Sunwolf007]

At a very young age I learned that the library was one of the greatest buildings every created. I always would read books on anything that would interest me. I was very well known by our school’s librarian every time I got to a new building I would always check out the books available. So yeah I was always a knowledge seeker. There did come a point when I asked myself (in High School) why is it so important to know things. It took me a while to figure it out but the idea that if I know what a problem is then I have the ability to create a solution. I would rather be miserable and be able to fix things than not know of the problems and have nothing to do with the solutions. Governments fear the public coming up with solutions because it takes away their ability to control the said populace. That is why they hide facts from us (at least that’s what I believe). People in power can’t stand being told they are wrong.

I have seen the same person be both intelligent and ignorant at different stages in their lives. My Great Grandparents suffered from Alzheimer disease and now my grandfather is showing signs of it. Most likely it will happen to me when I turn 70 or so. That means I have 46 years to figure out all I want to know. That’s not a lot of time. I don’t look forward to this but at least I know it’s coming. I would much rather know it is going to happen than have it suddenly take me.

[Dax]

There’s not much to add. Everything has been said; Knowledge and pain over Ignorance and bliss is obvious. However that we, or at least I, are not religious and know that at death we will never gain all of the knowledge we would want, it only serves as an excuse to find and absorb as much as we can while we can.
However, there is knowledge that we can never and will never learn. Since there is no more justification as to my choice since it has all been told, I guess I will finish on a philosophical note:
Learn what you may even though not all is at your disposal. Better to get what you can than weep over what you cannot.

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