The Insensitivity of Ignorance!
"Ignorance is bliss!" But is it really?
Ignorance is bliss until that bliss is crushed by life. And life will crush it, eventually.
There are several types of ignorance. The one to which I am referring here is living your life without awareness, pretending that everything is just peachy, when it actually might not be so. For instance, you discover a strange rash on your leg, but decide it's better not to know what it is, so you ignore it. You don't go to the doctor, you don't even look at your leg. It may feel like bliss, like there's nothing wrong, until your leg gets so bad that you are forced to seek medical attention. At that point, you are told that it's flesh eating disease, and that now your leg has to be amputated.
Perhaps that's an extreme example, but ignorance is often ignoring something that is calling your attention. Ignoring the situation may lull you into a false sense of peacefulness, but it's only temporary. There are consequences for everything, and sooner or later, you will learn how ignorance is not bliss at all; that it's just a form of laziness.
Living your life in ignorance is a way of not applying yourself in life.
You would think that if ignorance were truly bliss, there would be a lot more happy people in the world. But sadly, that's not the case.
The truth of the matter is, that ignorance can be dangerous. How? Allow me to explain. Ignorance can end up creating serious havoc in your life, and the lives of others. It can impact your happiness, and sometimes, it can even kill you. Let's say you decide to sit on railroad tracks with your buddies on a dare, just for the thrill of it. If you're ignorant of the train schedule, you can end up getting run over.
Here's another example...let's suppose you have kept yourself purposely ignorant about Covid-19. You don't believe all the hype. "It's hyperbole," you say. You prefer not to watch the news because "it's too depressing." Because you're ignorant of the guidelines, you don't wear a mask when you go out in public, you don't practice social-distancing, and you don't wash your hands after being out and about. You are practicing unsafe behavior that can expose you to the virus, make you very sick, or even kill you.
Remaining ignorant can have severe repercussions. Here are some of the ways that ignorance can impact your life.
1) You don't know for what to prepare.
You live life "blissfully" without a care in the world. An example might be, during the Covid-19 shelter-in-place, you may not have known to stock up on food, or toilet paper. You may not have known to have cash on hand in case of an emergency, or additional medication in your medicine cabinet. All crucial to know. Not knowing what may be coming leaves you unprepared and un-empowered.
2) You have no idea what to expect.
When Richard Ramirez, The Night Stalker, was sneaking through open windows during the summer months of 1984, and cold-bloodily torturing and murdering people, it was important to know that it was a safer to keep your windows locked at night, and instead have a fan blowing in your room. By being ignorant; by not having that information, you placed yourself and your family in terrible peril.
3) You make mistakes from which you can't easily recover.
Not being informed limits your abilities in life. You can make disastrous choices that can have you end up financially ruined. Let's say you've never invested in stocks, but think it's the thing to do (you heard some people talking). Without informing yourself, you invest all the money you have on a stock which sounds good and legitimate. You make yourself believe it's a great investment, and one that will yield profits in the future. Unfortunately, it doesn't bode well and you lose all your a loot. That could be a devastation from which you might not recover.
Ignorance is not bliss, even though it might seem so at the time. It is a form of denial, and a catastrophe waiting to happen.
Choosing ignorance leaves you vulnerable, and others, if you're in charge of a family.
Instill in your mind a desire to know. Knowledge is power, indeed. With this power you don't fall prey to predators who are just waiting by the wayside to take advantage of you. For instance, many people are ignorant of phone and email scams. There are criminals out there who call unsuspecting individuals, sometimes the elderly, and demand personal information so they can be wired a large sum of money. Of course, that large sum of money comes with a price. The victim has to pay a small fee to receive that money. Before the end of the day is done, these poor people may have lost thousands of dollars.
Stay aware! Don't choose to be ignorant simply by turning a blind eye. Inform yourself.
Don't be quick to fall into the trap of believing everything you're told by fear-mongers, or haters—those who warn you about staying away from "those people." Or that some particular religion is "bad." That people with brown skin are "terrorists." There are many more examples, but you get the idea.
Being ignorant causes insensitivity because you're operating based on false information. You're either ignoring pertinent knowledge, or believing gossip and hearsay, which creates insensitivity to others, often just innocent bystanders.
Don't ignore facts and evidence based simply on pretty words that have no backing; that have no foundation or validity.
Ignorance is not bliss at all. It is a dangerous mindset. One that comes with a great deal of risk.
Your happiness is at stake here. The happiness of those you love.
Erase ignorance from your life. Choose to inform yourself. Learn the facts. This will create a more empowered you. With knowledge you gain wisdom and the intelligence to make better decisions in your life.
Ignorance is, and always will be, your enemy!