Ignorance is bliss.....Really?

"Look at that stupid child, picking up food off the street and eating it!"

"Look at that stupid dog, licking his butt!"

"Who is stupid enough to go out in the rain without an umbrella?"

"Look at that punk...what a stupid haircut!"

Stupid? The kid eating a discarded, stale, piece of bread is not doing so because she is stupid, rather, because she is starving.

The dog doesn't lick his butt because he is stupid, rather, he is doing so because it's a common doggy behaviour.

Being caught in an unexpected downpour, can happen to anyone regardless of IQ.

Hairstyle, is that not a matter of preference rather than intelligence? Can a haircut really be "stupid"?

As far as words go, I think that the word "stupid" is often over used and misused.

When we say that someone (or something) is "stupid", what do we really mean? Do we mean unintelligent, a bad decision maker, lacking in rational thinking skills, no common sense, etc.etc. ?

How about ignorant? Is being ignorant the same as being stupid? Again, it depends on how we define the terms, you may say. Here is a suggestion: "Ignorance is not knowing, stupidity the inability to know, to comprehend. Another definition may be: ignorance is lacking information, stupidity; not being able to make sense of the information."

Being considered "smart" is commonly viewed as an asset, whereas being "stupid", is not. However, is it not possible for smart people to do "stupid" things, and for stupid people to do "smart" things?

Besides, as far as IQ (smarts) goes, nowadays most would agree that there appears to be many kinds of intelligences. (Emotional, social, spatial, kinesthetic, etc.)

Personally, I prefer not to use the word stupid, because a persons ability to be able to comprehend and make sense of information and or experiences, for me, is a matter of genetics rather than a choice.

Ignorance, on the other hand, can perhaps at times be viewed as a choice. A lack of information can easily be remedied by acquiring more information for someone who is able to grasp and make sense out of it.

When I first came to Australia, I seemed to continuously be able to amuse my newfound friends by

my use of the English language. Walking on the beach on the waters edge, I told my friends that I needed to go home and change my pants because: "I wet my pants". I was told to stop swearing when exclaiming while defrosting the fridge: "Look at all the bloody ice!" (Some meat had defrosted leaving a "bloody" mess.) In the beginning I didn't mind being a source of amusement, but quietly, I set about extending my vocabulary and increasing my understanding of the English language.

(I have often heard people say about people from non-English-speaking countries struggling to express themselves in English: "Sheesh, how stupid are they, they don't even speak English."

Stupid? According to stats, there are more people on this planet who do not use English as their native tongue than there are those who do.)

Ignorance, some say is "bliss". This is what the urban dictionary has to say: "It is a term used to falsely justify apathy on the given subject in the form of a catchy cliché."

Commonly, "Ignorance is bliss", seems to mean that sometimes we may prefer to not know all the facts/information. Facing a big medical operation, not knowing all the things that could potentially go wrong, may be preferable. Going for a walk in an Australian rain forest, not knowing about all the deadly creepy-crawlers may be preferable. (Personal experience!) However, choosing to ignore certain bits of information because one prefers to, can be risky, and can give rise to a lopsided sense of understanding. "Anybody who wants to work, can find a job if they try hard enough.  - Don't bother me with the un-employment figures, or the availability of job opportunities. This is my view and I'm sticking with it."  "He/she should just get over his/her depression, everyone feels a bit down now and then.  - "Don't bother me with telling me that depression is deemed a medical issue, and not something anyone can just snap out of. This is my view, and I am sticking with it." 

"All these refugees, they should just go back to where they came from.  - "Don't bother me by telling me about all their hardships and terrible experiences, they should just tough it out. This is my view, and I am sticking with it." 

Sometimes, ignorance is not a choice; it's just... not knowing. Sometimes the unexpected happens, we find ourselves on a road less travelled, we encounter situations and people that are foreign to us, and discover that we have no previous knowledge or understanding to lean on. Such moments offer us an opportunity for extending our foundation of knowledge, understanding and wisdom. This, in my view, is a choice. We can choose to remain ignorant or to learn.

Stupidity* cannot be cured, ignorance can.

 

(*stupidity defined as an inability to make sense of information)

 

 

"More and more people are beginning to feel that there must be another way of thinking, perceiving, and acting. And perhaps the beginning of another way of looking at the world is to re-evaluate all of our beliefs. It is, after all, our beliefs that determine what we are, experience, and expect. When we are willing to take a new look at our own beliefs, we then have an opportunity to begin rediscovering who and what we are and to redetermine our true purpose on Earth."

(Jampolsky & Cirincione)