Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Knowledge or Ignorance: Which is better?
We've all heard the sayings that "Ignorance is Bliss" and "Knowledge is Power." How do these two opposing ideas co-exist? In our world we say we want to be happy, and if bliss is a state of happiness, and the way to achieve it is by being ignorant, what would cause us to seek knowledge in the first place? I think a more accurate translation of "Knowledge is Power" is that knowledge gives us the resources to attain what we see as power. Examples of this would include money, material goods, and notariety. The only way an ignorant person could receive these things would be if they had a benefactor who would be willing to give them away. I find that ignorance for me is not blissful. On the other hand, I find it a most undesirable state of being. I've always wanted to know how or why things are the way they are, whether it's how my body works, or why some people think they're above the law. I guess part of being on the quest to answer life's questions is having an insatiable thirst for knowledge. Pretty powerful stuff, right?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)