Blissfulness of ignorance

   I often wondered why too much ignorance manifests in our society. I live in Romania, in the most European city. Cluj-Napoca, considered the most civilized big city, shows a nice face to the world with its openness to ideas, especially if it will bring some votes for the mayor, administering the city for over twenty-five years. 

   I just wondered, where does this ignorance come from….and more importantly, if it’s a real observation or just my imagination. 

   “Most people are not content with their belongings, but surely they are content with their intelligence.” – an ambassador from Anna Karenina russian universe, by Lev Tolstoi. 

   Indeed. A vast part of humanity will react defensively or aggressively when shown how little they understand about themselves and their doings. The worst part is that most of them will not admit it even if proven indisputably. From the few who have enough courage and awareness of themselves to admit, fewer will ask for advice and act for themselves. It is a rare encounter, and thankfully, well distributed, to discuss subjects of interest with people, and by the end, both to leave a little smarter, more knowledgeable, and wiser.

   In Romania, not often, but in more advanced civilizations, people will listen more carefully, and inquire, test my knowledge, experiment with my advice, and share their insights mindfully. Here, tho, the rush for advice seems to be an inborn instinct. An old banker gave his life advice without knowing anything about me. A few moments after our talk (more of a monologue), I discovered that he had stolen millions of euros from the bank where he was working, traveled the world, and returned to the country after his criminal acts were dropped. Whenever I present the slightest weakness, advice pours, but never fills me, because there is nothing to fill. 

   Conscious advice must come when asked. And must be given with utmost sincerity. This is how culture develops trustfully. This is how a peaceful society grows. 

   “Ignorance is bliss” because the moment of realization that will come from the conscious effort to contemplate the subject of ignorance is replaced with instant pleasure. When we observe the poor on the streets, the homeless, we can begin to think of our privileged life as a great gift, becoming grateful, and give something back, as a long-term investment for a cozier sofa in heaven. Most will think of the homeless as careless beings, worth of their situation, and regardless of their story, be regarded as a plague on society. Few will consider contemplating homelessness as a part of their life, inquire into the history of it, and the story of the unprivileged people, who spend their time lurking around trash bins for plastic bottles, begging for food, waiting for hope….

   I noticed a phenomenon of our mind, which happens when we go through someone’s insights. Unlike observations or discoveries, which can be described without consideration for the truth behind them, an insight is an attempt to understand. Anyone willing enough to search for the truth knows that it requires individual effort, irrefutably by others. It happens during contemplation when we can feel the truth behind perceptions and thoughts. No wonder great minds think the same. Everyone who goes through the contemplative inquiry will think the same, as greatness is the result of the process. Regarding the phenomenon of the mind, I am referring to the moment when we talk about our insights, and are repressed with utmost resistance by those who listened but never dared to walk through the path of understanding. 

“Eppur si muove.”

Most people want proof. Irrefutable and unconditional. They want to experience the truth as if it were their birthright. Until then, their deception is enough for survival, as comfort is their pleasure, not striving for betterness. They want someone else to make the effort to understand, so they will reap the benefits. Artificial intelligence was the creation of humanity, but through a few individuals who dedicated their lives to create enough understanding so that a few others to research into it and create the chat box, which makes so many excited that they don’t even have to think anymore, whether more to contemplate. 

Why do people become ignorant? Their curiosity is repressed repeatedly from childhood. Through their unconscious parenting. Through unconscious religiousness, schooling, governance, bossing, etc.

• Parents telling lies to their children just to keep them quiet, afraid, and obedient, so they can have moments of peacefulness, instead of choosing to tell the truth and help them to inquire. 

• Religions telling the same stories, perpetuating the same behavior within societies, creating discrepancies between their representation of the world and present knowledge, discoveries, along technological advancements.

• Schools attempt to create a collective human consciousness, unaware that diversity in thinking, in feeling, and in doing is the purpose of education, as every human being is unique and different, with a destiny to fulfill for himself, not just bound to career paths.

• Governments with their ever-increasing laws and legislations are creating blockades between people and their dreams, always looking to mend their wrongdoings, for which rarely anyone is punished.

• Bosses who ask, but can never explain, because they don’t understand the meaning of their business….

   Whenever someone’s curiosity is repressed, it creates apathy for the subject, as the desire to connect is cut before it happens. Without enough willingness will remain so. In the case of children, a few cuts will make them forget their curious intention. Their ability to create complex memories will decay, creating a mental state suitable only for short intellectual efforts. As adults, their ability to understand will be limited to a couple of seconds. If they contemplate for a minute, their mind will implode. It is possible through meditative practices to regain certain control over their impulses, but it is not going to bring their thinking to full potential. Mental training is required to improve the connectivity of the neural pathways; otherwise, they will become calmer, able to have a deep conversation, but still incapable of understanding complexities. 

Unconscious interactions are a blend of inter-reactions and non-understandings, forming as meaningless conversations, without the intention to explore an idea or someone’s observation, whether more of an insight. Unless there is something directly useful for the people engaging in such endeavors, the memory of the moment will fall short. Pleasurable discussions, I could call them, as their sole purpose is the search for pleasure, or better say, the possibility for more pleasure than is experienced at that moment. Another quote of the ambassador, with love from Lev: “Only wickedness can be fun!”. And indeed, most people will laugh, will feel good, when a great idea fails to provide relevant results. Therefore, there will be something to talk, gossip, laugh about, and not something worth contemplating. What a relief for them…A good Pope or other religious leader understands this phenomenon best.

 Am I ignorant?

   Of the starving and thirsty of Africa? Of poor countries in continuous war? Of the homeless in my city? I feel something when I think about them when I encounter news from regions, and more so, I choose to contemplate their existence shortly, without too much attachment, as I am too far and resourceless to help them. I have plans that might help them, which are helpless, just like the musical symphony that flows through my mind without means to play it (I don’t play any instrument). It is good for my understanding, helpful for my doings, and with some luck, my insight might connect to the real world someday. Till then, good people help them. I will do my best with encounters in my neighbourhood.

  Short insight. When a human is willingly ignorant, they understand that knowing the presented subject or fact creates a reason for them to lie about it. Politicians know it best, as they will rather not talk about something of interest to them, even if it is relevant to their responsibilities. Political parties with members mostly ignorant of anything beyond their self-interest, or extremists, will always choose their leader, their representative, from those without lawless activities. 

   Ignorance is the unwillingness to explore, born in the content of present experience, while potential outcomes that might happen do not threaten our being. Ignorance is inaction, at a perceptual level. If thoughts related to that information can’t form, emotions will not be influenced. It is helpful in short moments, when we have a mission, a goal to achieve, but we cannot run forever from what Existence wants us to experience. We can hide for a while, but it will always find us. We cannot destroy it, because it would harm us.

   Blissfulness comes in ignorance of our beliefs. We can experience the realization of truth only if we devote ourselves to inquiry, research, and contemplation for the process as a whole. If we only wait for the answer, we get a seed instead of its fruits.