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Is ‘ignorance is bliss’ the right perspective? Like obviously somebody who doesn’t know something bad is better off than not knowing i.e. someone’s relative dies, and it’s possible they’ll never find out about it, then don’t tell them, because why cause them grief for nothing?
But on something that matters..fine, I’ll use an example. Somebody comes to the conclusion that something is morally wrong/halachically wrong and refrains from doing that thing, even though it’s very hard and he literally goes through pain rabbah due to his understanding. Someone else on the other hand, doesn’t think it’s wrong and does it all the time and has a much easier life. And as far as the oinshim go, let’s say he’s an oineis because there is no way in the world he could’ve come to the realization that it’s wrong.
Who’s blissier? The ignorant one, for whom life’s a breeze, or the one who goes through much suffering, but is blessed with that y’diah. Now the question is NOT whose lot is better, because obviously doing what’s right is better than happiness, even if it’s excused happiness.
The question is: Is it true? Is the ignorant one really blissful, or the fact that he’s missing out from emes and living in a world of misunderstanding, is that in itself antithetical to happiness?
Ignorance is bliss, but that doesn’t mean it’s good.
Living with the truth, in my opinion, is more “blissful” (that’s not a word y’know…) because that’s just the way I am. I believe it’s just a matter of personality. Though after giving it some thought, the people who choose the easy way out are usually more bitter when it comes to many things because they don’t think too deeply about their existence and therefore they just don’t appreciate the simple joys in life that some other (thought out) people would.
I think that ‘ignorance is bliss’ is a fact. But I don’t necessarily see how it’s a perspective. It would need to be determined in each scenario how to handle it properly. Ignorance is bliss wouldn’t be a universal formula to deal with all situations.
i think, that from a torah perspective, that one who took on his nisayon, and “literally goes through pain”, feels more enjoyment from passing this nisayon, than the one who ignored this nisayon
Streekgeek-
(from the Merriam-Webster dictionary)
blissful (adjective):
1: full of, marked by, or causing bliss
2: happily benighted <blissful ignorance>
Which brings us to answer the philosophical question, as well.
benighted (adjective):
1: overtaken by darkness or night
2: existing in a state of intellectual, moral or social darkness: unenlightened
[example: the poor benighted souls who do not know the joys of reading]
“Ignorance is bliss” does not mean that the ignorant are blissful in the first definition. It does not mean that they experience “complete happiness” (which is the definition of bliss). It means that they are happily unconcerned with their problems because they are simply unaware of them.
Would you say that a person who is suffering from cancer but does not know it is experiencing complete happiness?
Both of the individuals you describe are in a position either to experience complete happiness or not. This is a matter of personality and perspective. If the question was whether complete happiness which is founded on ignorance of one’s true situation can be considered complete happiness, I think there is little doubt that this happiness is fool’s gold.
If the question was simply who is having more fun right now, I suppose that could be the ignorant and blissful individual. However, I would hardly consider that a philosophical question.
Generally, ignorance is nothing. Being completely ignorant on a matter means you have no thoughts or feelings about it whatsoever. That is not bliss. However, if knowing about a matter would be painful, then its ignorance would be more pleasant (in regard to the aforementioned pain).
As a general policy, the way I see it is: If generally there are painful issues, then ignorance can be seen as relative “bliss,” whereas if generally there is happiness, then ignorance couldn’t possibly be seen as better, it could only be assumed less [or at best, equal] in terms of pleasure vs. pain.
[Obviously, ignorance is only bliss {if at all} to the ignorant, which means all these question which preclude ignorance tend to be brain twisting conundrums.]
Finally, in regard to Yiddishkeit, being that it is essentially truth, life, and happiness, and if one truly believes in “kol man deavid rachmana letav avid,” there is no real question, as all [should] agree that ignorance of good is not bliss.
Depending on the issue, ignorance can cause you lots of harm in the long run.
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