“Ignorance is bliss.”
I have no idea who said that little piece of wisdom up there, but sometimes I think it’s completely true, and other times I think it’s the single lamest thing I have ever seen. I mean, honestly, being ignorant can’t possibly be blissful. Case in point: when you’re driving down the street toward an intersection where you have the right of way. You’re ignorant of the guy about to turn the corner without waiting for you to turn. There is a crash. Bliss, I think not. But then again, being ignorant can be amazing. Case in point: when everyone at your job is jealous of you, so they talk behind your back, but they’re nice to your face. You’re ignorant of their catty natures, so you can still enjoy doing your job. Or, of course there’s your girlfriend who think she looks awesome in purple, but it is NOT her color. She is ignorant of this and keeps her self-confidence. Or someone else tells her, and you’re called on the carpet because you never said anything. Oops, the diabolical dichotomy of ignorance strikes again! That was the conversation around the water cooler this week.
Scenarios:
1. You don’t know the meaning to the word “archaic,” so you don’t get the joke when “archaic” is the punchline. Ignorance is not bliss, because even if you admit it, and it’s explained to you, it’s never funny on the explanation.
2. Your ex-boyfriend is a writer for Days of Our Lives, and right after your breakup he writes a storyline eerily similar to what just happened in your relationship, but you never find out because you don’t watch the show. Ignorance is bliss, because you aren’t forced to relive the painful parts of your relationship on national television.
3. You have toilet paper stuck to your shoe, and no one tells you, but you find out at the end of the day. Ignorance is not bliss, because now you’re imagining every single person throughout your day laughing at you. And you’re a little angry that no one told you about it before you had to find out yourself.
4. You applied for a job you think you have a good chance at getting, but you got a standard rejection letter, never knowing that you didn’t get the job because of nepotism. The boss’s niece was greenlighted from the start, but you never find this out. Tough one. Ignorance may or may not be bliss in this scenario, because you’re still disappointed that you didn’t get the job.
And no, the cure for ignorance is not to be completely honest all the time. There’s a time and a place for enlightenment, and maybe it’s neither the time nor the place to tell your girlfriend she looks horrible in purple when you’re at a wedding reception for her best friend. Helping people overcome their ignorance is up to the other person, not up to you. If they ask you to be honest, then just be honest, but don’t be harsh. Don’t forget, too, that everyone is ignorant about something. Ask yourself would you want to know if it was you, and if the answer is no, then don’t tell. Because sometimes, yes sometimes, ignorance can actually be bliss.
Sam
Sam's Online Journal 