We have often used the proverb “Ignorance is bliss” in a sarcastic, critical and judgemental way—as if it means burying our head in the ground like an ostrich to avoid dealing with the real challenges of the real world. But is that really true? Is staying ignorant and protected from certain information or conversations a blessing or a curse?

Ignorance allows us to live a life outside of fear. It does not make us happy, but it does make life just a little bit easier. Sometimes, it’s nice to live in a world free from the strains of reality, similar to an innocent child, for at least a little while. Not knowing unpleasant truths can lead to a more peaceful, contented life. There is this prevailing belief that we are happier when we are not aware of the problems, where we turn a blind eye to something just to avoid any confrontation. Knowing less can sometimes lead to more happiness, and knowing the truth might cause us unnecessary distress, like in certain personal relationships or when the information is irrelevant to our well-being, like when it pertains to events beyond our control. After all, what we don’t know can’t hurt us. Not knowing certain things can shield us, even if temporarily, from the emotional burdens associated with those harsh realities. Many find solace in turning a blind eye to life’s darker truths. It’s a shelter from the harsh truths that might otherwise trouble us. Oftentimes, happiness comes from a lack of knowledge. To preserve their happiness, some people might even intentionally choose to remain oblivious all their lives. One may stay voluntarily ignorant through fear of confronting reality and facing the consequences. Not knowing unpleasant truths can lead to greater peace, happiness or reduced stress. Some people prefer to live by the notion of 'ignorance is bliss' as a way to avoid the burdens that come with knowing certain truths.

Innocence in children is a beautiful form of ignorance. They don’t understand the world’s harsh realities, yet they laugh, play and enjoy life. Their happiness comes from being unaware of things that would make them worry. Imagine a child playing happily without knowing the troubles adults face. They don’t think about paying bills or managing work pressure. Their world is filled with toys, stories and dreams. That peaceful joy comes from ignorance of life’s hardships. Childhood does have a kind of bliss, indeed. Children do not have the kinds of burdens that adults have—the burdens that come with responsibility and with awareness of the complexities of life. As adults, we have a kind of primal longing to return to that idealised state, a state in which we felt that someone unconditionally met our every need. Parents protect their children from knowledge which is too much for them to bear, too confusing for their little minds to process. For some time, children can operate successfully under the "need-to-know basis" of parental protection.

Naturally, we all tell ourselves and others some white lies occasionally. We do it to preserve our own or others’ happiness by not telling them what they “don’t need to know". However, when it goes too far and our refusal to acknowledge a truth harms others, that is when we need to cast off our ignorance and absorb the truth. At that point, it’s time to trade our own happiness for knowledge that can help us make others happy. It’s impossible to not be ignorant about anything, but we have a responsibility, not just to ourselves but to our fellow humans, to actively work to battle our ignorance and fight for happiness for others, even if it means sacrificing some of our own.

While these situations can bring temporary peace, this state is often short-term, as the truth usually catches up, often requiring eventually dealing with the issues. So, in most circumstances, it’s better to have all the facts at our disposal. 'Ignorance is bliss' can sometimes lead to complacency and hinder personal growth and development. Although there are instances where being unaware can provide temporary happiness, it is crucial to seek a balance between blissful ignorance and informed awareness. One has to constantly learn new knowledge, explore the unknown and be mindful about ourselves as well as the surroundings. The journey of knowledge starts with curiosity and a determination to satisfy it. On your way, you will face problems. But at the end of the journey, you will come back to the same place where you started from, you will still be in the same world. But the world will no longer be the same for you. You will have a perspective now, which will change the way you look at things. You will now be able to see beauty. Being ignorant only denies the opportunities to learn and expand your horizon to a greater extent. 

We – human beings – very often want to show the best sides of ourselves without showing any of our vulnerability to others. We are afraid of asking questions (let alone asking the right questions), as this shows that we are vulnerable without knowing something. Ultimately, we choose to remain in our comfort zone—back to square one, only to realise that bliss doesn’t always come from ignorance and vice versa. Being in a state of ignorance deprives you of the chance of taking any actions that could ultimately produce the results that you have always wanted. In other words, ignorance holds you back from what you want to achieve by limiting your belief. More dangerously, this realisation doesn’t come to you as long as you choose to remain comfortable. Only when you see life as a journey of learning will you see its action in disguise.

However, not being aware cannot stop the wrong from happening. In fact, it can prove to be more detrimental to the person. The best example of this is our own body. Our body lets us know of any damage through “pain”. Pain is a signal from our body to make us aware of the damage so that we try fixing it. Yes, pain may take away bliss from the moment, but it saves from further damage. This applies to every problem. Not being aware of the problem will keep us from being tense, but it does not mean the problem does not exist. Instead, it will keep you from solving it, and thus, the problem may become bigger. There are times when ignoring actual problems can directly affect you, which can lead to snowballing consequences. One may stay voluntarily ignorant through fear of confronting reality and facing the consequences. For example, you may know that your health is declining. But you choose not to go to the doctor for a formal diagnosis. Doing so would mean you may have to make lifestyle changes. We’ve all heard stories of people who were cured of life-threatening diseases because they detected and addressed the issue early on. Unfortunately, we’ve also heard stories of people who never did their checkups and found out about their fatal illnesses too late. This is because ignorance may be blissful in the short term, but avoiding an issue does not make it go away. On the contrary, a situation may become even worse if you don't address it.

While I certainly believe that knowledge can be powerful, I’ve also come to understand and appreciate the power of staying ignorant and naive about certain things. For example, consider the media today. Advertisers bombard us with different life standards—their ideals about how we are supposed to look, how much money we are supposed to make, or how much we need to achieve in order to be successful. These ideals are designed to make people feel inadequate, to create dissatisfaction so that we will buy their products. Add to that the fact that media tend to only report the sensational, gloom-and-doom stories—sound bites about the economy, government, murders, rapes, child abuse, war and other unpleasant topics. Because media is all about selling ratings. They look for the most shocking stories, which are usually the most depressing. I am not suggesting anyone stop watching and reading the news. It’s important to know what’s going on in the world. But I am very selective about what I read, what news channels I watch and how much I read about different things that happen, because certain conversations don’t make any difference. In fact, some information can have a negative impact. 

Sometimes, I forget about everything. I’m just with my friends and loved ones laughing and having a good time, and nothing else matters in that moment. In those moments, ignorance is truly blissful, but in many other moments, it’s hard to stay at bliss. I’ve found that the best thing I can do to stay both blissful and completely aware of the world is being grateful for life itself. I get to live life. That’s it. It is not easy to live with knowledge and truth. We are so used to living in the world of illusion that facing the truth often becomes an extremely painful experience. During all these times I realised, “Ignorance is bliss," although we cannot permanently remain in that blissful state…we have to come back to the painful state. While one can be in ecstasy by being ignorant, for the necessary safety and security, you need to be well informed and mature even if knowing it all can make one’s life miserable sometimes!! In the muck and mire of life, it is easy to lose sight of its blissful moments. We need to grow up, not just on the outside, but on the inside, too. And in growing up, there is both loss and gain.

We live in a world overflowing with noise, opinions, distractions and endless information pulling us in every direction. Real clarity begins when we learn to filter out what doesn’t matter, the noise, the negativity and the things that drain our energy. Wisdom is not just knowing more. It is about knowing what doesn’t deserve your attention. The objective would be to know the limits of your own knowledge, to select what you want to know and to ignore what you don’t need to know and, most importantly, to do this filtering very deliberately and with full conscious awareness. When you decide what to ignore, you finally create space for what truly matters – your work, your loved ones, your growth, your peace………………... Like so much in life, it is good to have a balance.