"Ignorance is Bliss"

I know I’ve focused on more tech-oriented things for the last few posts, but I did so because it’s necessary, especially in our current world. However, this level of technology didn’t always exist, and we never had to ask the questions that we do now. Philosophy on the other hand is something that applies to any point in human history--any point since we became intelligent enough to communicate and interact with other humans. That being said, I’m going to focus on a recurring phrase, one that has a fair amount of controversy around it: “Ignorance is bliss.”

The saying originated in a 1742 poem, “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College,” by Thomas Gray, and the actual quote states, “Where ignorance is bliss, ’tis folly to be wise.” This quote has resonated with people around the world and has become quite a contentious phrase. More or less, the saying implies that ignorance, or lack of knowledge, can be beneficial to one’s well-being. Most don't think about it, but can being unaware of something make us content?

Imagine there was a burglary at your house while you were at work. Sorry…but stay with me. You were going on with your day, perhaps going out to eat with family, buying a nice watch, seeing the sunset at a beach. But then, while you’re at sunset, you get a call from your neighbors saying that there was a burglary at your house. What a wonderful way to end a nice day. However, you don’t panic because you want to enjoy the moment, so you overlook the actual damage done to your house. In this circumstance, overlooking the significance of the burglary allowed you to enjoy your day and be happy at the moment…but all of your valuable possessions were stolen.

Do you see what I mean? A couple of years ago when I was thinking about the phrase, I thought it indicated false happiness because the quality is persistent in dystopias. For instance, in Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury portrays a world where books and freedom of thought are restricted. Early in the novel, the initially “ignorant” main character, Guy Montag meets a girl, Clarisse, a curious and free thinker who asks him various questions about their world. In their initial discussions, Montag overlooks Clarisse’s questions and simply laughs them off: “You laugh when I haven’t been funny and answer right off. You never stop to think what I’ve asked you” (6). Montag never bothered to question the restrictions in his society, so he was always under the assumption that the world was perfect the way it was. Thus, his ignorance of the world around him led him to live a happy life.

However, Montag’s life changes after he realizes his ignorance: “He was not happy. He was not happy. He said the words to himself. He recognized this as the true state of affairs. He wore his happiness like a mask” (9). Montag instantly becomes discontent with the life he’s been living and loses his sense of belonging in society.

Ignorance is like a mask. Some decide to wear that mask while others don’t realize that they are wearing it. In addition, ignorance doesn’t exactly indicate false happiness. In Montag’s situation and the scenario I described before, the parties who ignored were happy in the moment, and that happiness is a fundamental part of their reality. However, their perception of reality was enclosed, restricted by their lack of knowledge.

This leads to another question-- is it better off to be ignorant and content or knowledgeable and unfulfilled? I don’t have an answer for that, but Plato chooses the latter option: “Better to be unborn than untaught, for ignorance is the root of all misfortune.”