“Nothing in the
world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”
Martin Luther
King, Jr.
Let us think about ignorance today. We did touch on the topic of ignorance on 11 February. Feel free to read that post because it goes hand in hand with this one. Ignorance is considered
by many to be the most ferocious enemy that justice can have; it is seen as an
evil weed which dictators cultivate among their dupes, and it is even
considered to be unaffordable by democracy among its citizens. Robert Browning
branded ignorance not as an innocence but as a sin.
I think he is quite correct to baptise
ignorance as a sin. There are two philosophers whom I want to draw into this
topic. The first is Sir Alfred Ayer who said that the ignorance restricts
freedom. This is because ignorance causes people to make choices which they
would not have made if they had seen what the realization of their choices
involved. Eric Hoffer is the second one whom I am drawing into this discussion.
He sees those who are ignorant as reservoirs of daring. It almost seems that
those who have yet to discover the known are particularly equipped for dealing
with the unknown. The unlearned have often rushed in where the learned feared
to tread, and it is the naïve who are tempted to attempt the impossible.
Because they don’t know where they are going, they tend to give chance a
chance.
When you reflect for a moment on the human
condition, you may hopefully deduce that most of the problems in one’s life
(and subsequently in the world as well), may be attributed to blatant
ignorance. It doesn’t take much to escape the bliss of ignorance, only the
choice to do so. Maybe it is better to stay ignorant than to be faced with
life’s realities… Look, it is not wrong to be uninformed. Being informed takes
time and effort. There is, however, a huge difference between being uninformed
and being ignorant. My question to you today is, are you ignorant? If so, do
you think you contribute in life with your ignorant disposition? You answer
these to yourself, but you may leave a comment or six if you please.
Where
ignorance is bliss,
‘Tis
folly to be wise.
Thomas
Gray said this…
Ignorance
is surely something we should despise.
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