Ignorance May Be Bliss... But It's Also No Excuse
There is a well known saying that ignorance is bliss. Now I could delve into the past and explore its origins but I think there is far more value to be consider things in a current context.
We live in a era of unprecedented access to knowledge. A vast majority of the world can now connect to the internet and through this global database, interact with information in a manner that even folk of the current generation find mind boggling. So in light of that is ignorance still bliss? Or is ignorance a symptom of oppression? Even worse is ignorance an expression of privilege?
In some countries access to knowledge is severely curtailed or curated in order to fit a particular narrative. We still live in a world where a person's social standing, economic status, or even something as ridiculous as gender may inhibit their access to knowledge. This state of enforced ignorance is nothing short of oppression, ensuring that certain people have access to that which empowers most, knowledge.
What of the other category though? What of those who have unrestricted access to knowledge? Is their ignorance anything other than a choice to remain closed to knowledge?
We are so many of us exposed to the difficulties of those around us in a manner that our parents and grandparents could never have foreseen. From systematic oppression of ethnicities, cultures, genders, to global climate change, ongoing wars and economic inequalities some say that we are witnessing the slow collapse of society.
Yet lets not zoom out too far, we are now capable of being more politically aware in our own countries and localities. We are able to quickly check in on our friends and family members all across the world and it's possible to easily connect to the joys and struggles of the lives of those around us.
We have so much access to knowledge, and knowledge is a form of power. So what are you going to do with you power?
Ignorance may be bliss... but its also no excuse.