Is Ignorance Bliss?

There’s a famous expression that goes “ignorance is bliss” that I really want us to think about. Is it actually the best path forward, or is it one of those things that we’ve heard enough times that we believe it’s and never thought to challenge?

I’ve been thinking deeper about the question “Is ignorance bliss?” and I’ve got my answer: No, but sometimes kind of. Let me explain.

Ignorance can be bliss when there’s a problem in life that isn’t impacting you too much right now, but it would significantly impact you if you were aware of it. And I think that’s the intended meaning of the expression - "Ignorance is bliss" when it does more harm than good to worry about something that doesn’t need to be a cause for worry. This is often true for the things that are out of your control because if you can’t do anything about it then you’re not wasting energy on it.

However, the cost to the “ignorance is bliss” approach is that it could lead to bigger problems down the road. It may be easier to intervene on a situation today, but if you choose not to be aware of it then it’s at risk for becoming more difficult to manage in the future. Also when you take the position of non-awareness on something, it has the potential to dilute your overall experience. Things are good enough but they could be better… And choosing ignorance might cause you to miss out on the fullness of experience that life has to offer.

Which leads us to the alternative - “Ignorance is not bliss”. Built into the word ‘ignorance’ is ‘ignore’. As I see it, to ‘ignore’ is to willingly choose to not know about something or take action on something. To ignore something is to avoid it despite knowing that doing something about it is in your best interest. And that’s why to me, ignoring facets of your life is unhealthy, irresponsible, and undisciplined. 

My primary interest is to live with as much intentionality as possible, and that requires having awareness and discipline. Ignorance exists opposite to that. Does it serve you to not seek as much awareness and information as you possibly can? Is it better to be avoidant of the realities of your life? Largely, no. But sometimes when your awareness does more harm than good, sure.

But I’ve found those instances are few and far between. Even for those things that do add unnecessary worry or stress to your life, the healthier approach is to accept them rather than completely ignore them.