Ignorance. Bliss, Or Something Sinister?
Ignorance: Is It Good Or Bad?
The saying "Ignorance is bliss" comes from Thomas Gray's poem “On a Distant Prospect of Eton College” (1742). This phrase has positive and negative connotations depending on how one looks at it. In some ways, ignorance is bliss as certain things are beyond our control.
On the other hand, ignoring actual problems that directly affect you can lead to snowballing consequences.
Psychological Meaning Of Ignorance
Psychologists believe that ignorance can be intentional or unintentional.
Intentional Ignorance
Intentional ignorance, or willful ignorance, refers to an individual who voluntarily or deliberately chooses to ignore a problem. This strategy is also known as willful denial or motivated ignorance.
Individuals 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. Willful ignorance in this situation helps you delay dealing with the illness and associated consequences.
Willful ignorance is a coping mechanism that usually backfires.
Unintentional Ignorance
Unintentional ignorance relates to a genuine lack of awareness or insight regarding a particular situation. This is involuntary and may be due to incomplete information, knowledge or limited experience.
Implications of Ignorance
Our psychological health depends on our ability to recognise and comprehend issues that influence well-being. Understanding ourselves and the world around us helps us form effective responses.
Ignorance can pose a threat to our mental and physical health. Denial prevents us from understanding challenges and tolerating difficult inner states. As a result, it becomes an obstacle to psychological well-being.
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.
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How To Move Away From The 'Ignorance Is Bliss' Mindset?
Changing your mindset and facing problems head-on can help you make your life easier in the long run.
Here are some ways to change your thought process and let go of an "ignorance is bliss" mindset:
Allow For Just A Little Ignorance
Being ignorant is not wholly wrong. A bit of ignorance doesn't usually lead to adverse outcomes. On the contrary, some degree of ignorance may help you cope with overwhelming circumstances.
Social media and general internet usage can lead to an onslaught of news and information about dire, traumatic events. Being consumed by this content could negatively impact your well-being.
Maintain Moderation And Avoid Too Much Ignorance
Avoid being too ignorant or spiralling into extreme denial when you face a dire situation. While some amount of ignorance is okay, there are certain things you should not ignore.
Speak to a licensed professional to cope with difficult situations if you are struggling to cope with them. Learn emotional coping strategies for problems or situations you cannot change.
How To Maintain Healthy Awareness And Ignorance
Maintaining a healthy balance of awareness and ignorance may seem challenging, but you can achieve it if you know how.
Break experiences into thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and physical reactions and keep a diary of these different psychological states
Evaluate the degree of control you have over a particular situation that seems challenging
List the actions you can take to make a positive change to a situation.
Be aware of heuristics and biases that can lead to ignorance.
Summary
Is ignorance bad? The answer is not simple. A little ignorance used in situations we can't control may be useful. However, a widely applied 'ignorance is bliss' will likely cause more problems than it solves.
Thankfully, there are many positive alternatives to ignorance. Learning and practising these strategies will improve your well-being.
‘Ignorance is bliss’ is a popular art and literary topic. Here are some example works.
Further reading:
Dealing with negative thoughts
All about maladaptive behaviour
Deflection as a coping strategy
We are Coaching & Clinical Psychologists with extensive experience helping people conquer a range of wellbeing and performance issues at home and in the workplace. We can also help with an over-reliance on the ‘ignorance is bliss’ strategy. Read more about our work, watch practical skills videos or browse other articles. Get in touch anytime.