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My friend and I have an ongoing conversation about the idea "ignorance is bliss, but knowledge is power." I honestly can't figure out which is better. There are things I wish I didn't know, but I don't think I could live my life in absolute ignorance either. Anyway, it's been my brain food lately to think about when I have spare time, and I'm curious about everyone else. What are your thoughts? Do you prefer ignorance and bliss, or knowledge and power? Or neither?

Knowledge, since how will you ever know the truth about anything if you do not collect the knowledge that is out there? If you live in ignorance, you can always be led like a lamb to slaughter with ease. Knowledge and the truth will indeed set you free to have true joy in life instead of a transient state such as bliss really is at its core.

Can't I have knowledge and be happy with that?

ALynnPowers wrote:Can't I have knowledge and be happy with that?

As long as you know that you know, then yes you can!

I think there is so much unknown that we are all always going to be ignorant, but I still feel it is best to acquire as much knowledge as we can. I think happiness is a choice separate from intelligence.... plus learning is fun. Power is yet another separate issue. It can definitely sway a person, but still the choice of how that power is used belongs to the person. A powerful person can still be happy, and a powerful person can be miserable... both whether or not they use that power for good or bad. There are also people who end up in a position of power without having any knowledge... monarchs etc. Each element is separate... each person is different... in the end we all make decisions and peace of mind can be one of them. Let it go!!! Let it go!!! haha. Some people feel that they need to be miserable in order to prove they are good... if they are constantly feeling bad about all of the bad things going on in the world... then people can't accuse them of not caring. It is a prison of the mind that both ignorant and educated people fall to.

Thank you so much! I love the amazing insight everyone has here! I asked a few of my friends about this, and most of them were just as confused as I was. maybe people are more eloquent in their writing than speech? Hmmm... Or maybe it's just a different community here. Either way, this is great!