News and Politics Forum

Good essay.  Thanks for sharing.

Ignorance is truly bliss, but only to a point.  Critical thinking, maintaining awareness, and asking questions is the only way to combat against those who desire to manipulate and control.

I do agree, we lead a much bleaker existence because of it, but it's better than being slaves to superstition, fear and harmful ignorance.

The 'bliss' part was all me.

There are many things in my life that I sincerely wish I wasn't aware of. 

IMHO, the process of aging and maturity is nothing more than a series of disillusionments.  Some people become so distraught by this, that they come to expect disillusionment, lies, and distrust of what is currently understood, in all aspects of their existence.  Again, IMHO, that mindset was the birth place of the philosophies of Nietzsche and the like.

My use of the word 'fear' more relates to the ignorance and superstition of people in the dark ages, who blindly accepted the word of the church, or that of folklore, instead of investigating aspects of their lives for themselves.  They were actually scared to ask questions, which I find very sad.  It took a long time to move away from that mindset.

Ultimately, everyone must, at some point, arrive at their own conclusions about what knowledge is needed, and what is not.  Everyone will pursue answers to varying degrees, as far as they are willing to make the appropriate sacrifices to attain them.  Some will reach a point where the pursuit becomes too exhausting, and the ends no longer justify the means.  Some will attain everything they ever wanted, only to realize they are no better for it, and now with nowhere to go.  Most, with life experience, will reach a happy medium and simply accept certain things are better left unexplored, unexplained, and maybe even unpursued.  But thats their choice, and for no one else to dictate.

Last edited by Crash6 (06-21-2008 11:12 PM)

I keep thinking because of the title, about enlightenment, that in the eastern sense of enlightenment, everyone becomes enlightened when they die, so theres no real point in striving to it in life.