Ignorance

Sometimes people will say "knowledge is power". This is a true statement, because with the appropriate knowledge comes the ability to manipulate and control (tools or human beings, whichever). However, I don't think many people may see this, but ignorance is also a power. Being ignorant in some circumstances is a very strong and powerful concept. The idea of this may seem absurd but in reality, being less aware of knowledge of certain kinds can become a powerful defensive and motivational force. Let us provide a very simple example. A person who takes drugs versus a person who doesn't. Here we can have two situations of ignorance. One is that the person who doesn't take drugs does not know of its addictiveness. This allows the person to be non-dependent on drugs and be able to live his life free of that kind of addiction. Another type of ignorance is the person who is taking drugs but does not know of the health consequences. Perhaps not quite as beneficial as not knowing the addictive power of drugs in itself, but if the drugs are providing the addict with a reasonably content lifestyle, then without knowing about any possible health consequences, could not this person live rather happily as well?

Ignorance is a powerful factor, but the real key to using it properly is to know what to be ignorant of. A highly paradoxical case, but knowing how to be ignorant can be very beneficial. Many sources of doubt and misgivings often come from knowing too much. Of course, there are some that can probably take in such knowledge and still continue to have confidence in what they set out to do. Still, not knowing would be better. Not knowing would mean that there is full 100% confidence (even if it might be wrong) in their beliefs and their goals, and there is nothing perceived wrong about what they will decide to do.

Obviously not all types of ignorance are beneficial. As a researcher myself, I understand how if one attempts to tackle a subject without knowing anything about it it is roughly equivalent to swatting a fly in the dark. Controlled ignorance is what one should think about seeking after. This is not actually a foreign concept, although people may be unaware that they are engaging in it (yes, its quite ironic). This is very prevalent in politics where people will refuse to fully understand the points of the other party. Why they would do something like that, is to keep their faith unwavering and follow their beliefs regardless if in reality they are true or not.

Likewise, both ignorance and knowledge is a powerful tool to use against other people, instilling people what you want them to know, forbidding them from learning what they shouldn't know. People always outcry this as a type of "evilness" but this is perfectly normal. Like many things in life, there is a balance, a balance between knowledge and ignorance. One is not better than the other any more than light is better than dark. So once in a while, consider the ignorance and feel appreciative of what you don't know. Additionally, think about what you should continue to not know about, but also where knowing will be more advantageous. Knowing what to tackle and what to ignore... may be a key to making one better in his/her entirety.