Sunday, March 26, 2006

Ignorance Is Bliss

In my younger years, I wondered exactly what that meant. It didn't make much sense. How could being ignorant be a good thing? It wasn't until adulthood that the full scope of this cliche became apparent. Just for grins & giggles, allow me to expound on the simplicity of what this means to me. No wise philosophical statements... just drizzle.

If you don't know what you're missing, you'll be happy with what you have. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you can only be happy if you're ignorant. Nor am I saying ignorance insures happiness. I am saying it's harder to be happy with simplicity, once educated in complexity.

The "Tree of Knowledge" and its forbidden fruit are very simple (and direct) symbols of this saying. When the fruit was eaten and eyes were opened to knowledge, bliss was forever lost.

Much like finding out Santa wasn't real - after a few years of happily anticipating the fat man's gifting spree. The magic was lost - luckily, the gifts weren't.

Once you find out how close you are to having the life you are no longer ignorant of - but can never have - that happiness will disappear like the ignorance that gave birth to it. As ignorance is bliss - so education is its assassin, thus is torture.

How we long to return to our more innocent days. Not knowing was never a thought. We simply lived.