Ignorance is the Wrong Kind of Bliss

“The more you know, the less you understand.” - Lao Tzu from the Tao Te Ching.

Knowing a little is MUCH easier than knowing a whole lot.

Having a fixed, narrow point of view makes understanding the world a bit simpler. The complexities of an ever-changing life can be tackled when everything is turned into either black or white.

Owning only one point of view, much like they say about ignorance, is bliss. No need to think about all of those pesky things like opposing views and contradictory evidence when your mind is in a little box. Why learn more when confining your thoughts is just much more convenient?

I see so many variations of this mindset in everything  from a political debate to a philosophical topic it is crazy. Many can be seen closing off their minds to anything new because they want to feel like they have it all figured out. Experts on any chosen topic or field dictating their view from their ivory throne of self-righteousness.

I don’t want you to be that person.

The fact is that keeping an open mind to all viewpoints is impossibly difficult, but it also the ideal way to tackle issues large and small. The hard part stems from the fact that considering many angles means that you have less confidence in your conclusion, and thus have a lesser understanding.

This is a good thing. Very few opinions should be absolutely right or wrong, no matter what those shouting mouths in the news media say. Nobody should feel like they completely understand a debate because, really, how can you? There are thousands upon millions of experiences in this world that you cannot even hope to understand.

It doesn’t hurt to try though. Seeing any problem as a multi-layered issue allows for a greater awareness and a higher level of contemplation. The truth is that thinking in this way means that what you “know” is no longer a fact, but a relative point in a sea of others.

Homosexuality is wrong. Corporations are evil. Boxers are better than briefs. All examples of individuals sticking to a viewpoint based on a cramped viewpoint that is confident in its ignorance of others.

The more you know about the world, the less you understand about how everything works. Having a little self-doubt in an opinion is the healthiest way to approach life, and the only way we can ever see any real change in the realm of public debate. Feel free to have a strong opinion, but understand that it is no more solid than every other one out there.

An open mind understands that it cannot completely understand anything and grows stronger with that knowledge. A closed mind thinks it understands everything, but actually knows considerably less.

As William Shakespeare wrote: “The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.”