Is Ignorance Really *Bliss* ?

[Joshua_me]

Ya know....every fiber of my.......

Well, at least 95 percent of being tells me that, "No, ignorance sucks !"

But sometimes, I just don't know.

Goodness knows I don't want everyone to agree with me. (Not bloody likely,
anyway) But the point is...I *welcome* discourse. Argue with me, disagree
me, tell me I'm an an idiot...I actually ENJOY it.

But.

Just make it *intellectual* discourse.

Something challenging, something that makes me take a step back and
essentially say, "Well ! Fuck me ! I never thought of it that way ! Let me buy you a beer and we'll talk about it..."

Which usually just ends up with both of us scratching our heads at the end of the night with little accomplished...but hey, it was fun even if we're now more miserable and confused than we were at the beginning of the night.

But hey, at least we can't say we led a 'unexamined life'. The agony continues....

But then, I look around at things on a day like today, so called 'Black Friday' here in the states. People lined up around Target at 4am, Mostly Str8 guys delighted that there's still 72 hours of football left, Nascar fans endlessly fascinated by shiny loud things going around in a circle... And I notice one thing that they all seem to have in common.

They're all happy as clams.

Contented little clams that don't bother to question such concepts as 'mindless conformity' or endless consumption and consumerism, and I have to ask myself: "Who in the end is the winner, here,'The clams' or the folks that over think everything to death 10 times over ?"

Meh.

Thoughts ?

Joshy

 

[Kurn]

Repetitive Action Contests.
Men are allegedly easily entertained by them.

There is bliss in ignorance; that is, if you knew everything you might have a bad headache all the time. Plus you wouldn't ask questions or participate much in conversation.

Escaping our comfort zones is an adventure. The thing is, you have to be willing to learn things you had no idea were there to be learned. Rarely is this more than you bargained for.

 

[JakeBequette]

I had a teacher from 10th grade to graduation, and he started out every yelling telling us about the story of his mother and how she had cancer and how had it been discovered could have been treated, ending with the statement that ignorance is NOT bliss.​

 

[CaptainJohn]

I stopped watching the news years ago. I am considerably less despressed now.

Knowledge for the sake of knowledge can be a masterful thing, especially in a game of Trivial Pursuit, but I'd far rather be happy than right any day.

 

[belamy]

It is... for certain not so "ignorant" ones.

 

[Swellegant]

I really wouldn't know, having a colossal brain.

But actually, it depends on the kind of information of which you remain ignorant. When I stopped watching the news and became profoundly ignorant of the smaller events that plague our society, I became a much happier and more peaceful person. Not knowing about the darker secrets and fantasies of my close associates is a beautiful ignorance that makes it possible for me to be near them without shivering with disgust.

This phrase goes along with "You can't miss what you never had", which is a load of balderdash because you can miss things you've never had, because you see other people having them. See, only if you exist in perfect ignorance of what you never had will you not miss it, and thereby be happy in your lack and ignorance of that lack.

But to be ignorant of important things, like the purpose of life or the location of your car keys, is not at all blissful. It's irritating as hell (because, you see, you are aware of your ignorance, and therefore miss what you lack).

 

[JakeBequette]

I really wouldn't know, having a colossal brain.

​

 

[belamy]

I really wouldn't know, having a colossal brain.

But actually, it depends on the kind of information of which you remain ignorant. When I stopped watching the news and became profoundly ignorant of the smaller events that plague our society, I became a much happier and more peaceful person. Not knowing about the darker secrets and fantasies of my close associates is a beautiful ignorance that makes it possible for me to be near them without shivering with disgust.

This phrase goes along with "You can't miss what you never had", which is a load of balderdash because you can miss things you've never had, because you see other people having them. See, only if you exist in perfect ignorance of what you never had will you not miss it, and thereby be happy in your lack and ignorance of that lack.

But to be ignorant of important things, like the purpose of life or the location of your car keys, is not at all blissful. It's irritating as hell (because, you see, you are aware of your ignorance, and therefore miss what you lack).

See why "real perfect/ed democracy" is an utterly impossible task..?

 

[cocktales]

I simply detest NOT being informed........I/we both are news junkies and watch the daily crap on national as well as local TV news fronts....

You have to take ALL that with "for what it's worth" type of acceptance.

So, I guess I am saying that ignorance is NOT really bliss; but also you can sometimes be overly informed and just "buzz-out" on too much of the jam packed stuff goin on in the world.

Today, where instant-news comes out when ever anything of value happens, for the world is totally connected via satellite/the internet, etc...

So, I really don't like it when people do NOT know what's happening and bury their heads in the sand, do you?

 

[Joshua_me]

Define *Bliss*

If you believe the definition includes ignorance, then you're right.

Well, I don't know...

I'm reminded of Joseph Campbell's old quote, "Follow your bliss"
Which I always took to mean find something that makes you happy
and that you can make a living at and then by all mean pursue it, ignoring
all others people's advice and opinions.

But, these days I'm not so sure.

If, for example, my idea of 'bliss' was climbing a bell tower with an AK-47
and picking off people that got in my way.....Then...um, well....that 'follow
your bliss' thing would seem a tad shortsighted.

I guess my point of this thread was more.... 'Try to be happy'. And for some,
it seems to take so little.

Football !

Budweiser !

Chicks in bikinis !!

If anything, I suppose I'm jealous.

Maybe some of us are here to facilitate the bliss, not to experience it.

Ahh well.

Joshy