Is knowledge always better then ignorance?

Answer 1

"Always" is a dangerous word to use, as it can be refuted by one example out of ten million others.

Vearious routes can be taken to suggest that, at least on occasion, more knowledge is not the better option.

Sherlock Holmes suggested that "the giant rat of Sumatra, [is] a story for which the world is not yet prepared."

The writer of Ecclesiastes has "...he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow."

Douglas Adams described the Total Perspective Vortex,
where the presented knowledge of the universe destroyed the mind of anyone exposed to it.

Thomas Gray's poem which ends "Where ignorance is bliss, 'Tis folly to be wise." is not simplistic, however the quotation in isolation may be used.

Take just the latter: If the future is know by some to hold unavoidable and unmeliorable distress and pain for others, how is it better to pass that knowledge on?

Yes, there is little doubt that most often knowledge is better than ignorance. Ignorance can be costly, and deadly.
But the question wasn't about mostly, or usually.

Answer 2

It doesn't always seem that way. Because with knowledge comes responsibility. Ignorance truly can be blissful. That's probably why so many people fight against knowing. Or live in comfortable denial. In the grand scheme of things, I guess I'd have to come down on the side of knowledge. It seems to be an essential on the path to wisdom. But that's another question.

Answer 3

That's where the saying, "Ignorance is bliss." comes from. So one could argue that not knowing something hurtful that you can do nothing about is a better state of mind than knowing and ruminating over it.

Of course, there is also the saying, "Ignorance of the law is no excuse." In which case you could be punished for a crime you didn't knowingly commit.

Either way, I feel that knowledge is definitely more empowering. Even if you find out something you didn't want to know along the way.

Answer 4

The clarity knowledge brings is profound and certainly a greater state of mind than that of ignorance: with knowledge comes choices. If one is ignorant, one is not aware of possibility--such a limiting state of mind. Of course knowledge is every expanding, so my mind as it is today may be judged ignorant by tomorrow's mind. So be it. I'll take knowledge over ignorance any day and continue learning :-)

Answer 5

Always. I am trying to think of a time when it is not.
Even if the knowledge was that you had 3 days to live.
You could at least live the 3 days as well as you could.

Answer 6

if knowing helps me to live a better life then it's definitely better than ignorance. no matter what, little knowledge is dangerous and ignorance is not bliss.

Answer 7

Depends, if your a snail you see things in a very blurry hard to see way. You just see contrast between light and dark, but you would see not definition in anything. This is a good thing because a snail moves so slow, It would suck to be able to see the foot that is about to step on you. In this case ignorance is bliss.

Answer 8

Someone said, if ignorance is bliss why aren't stupid people happier?

I would argue that they kind of are. look at tests, its been proven that those who are geniuses are more likely to be depressed individuals in part because other people simply don't understand them, they are beyond them. And yes ignorance can be bliss

Answer 9

of course knowledge is so much better than ignorance. ignorance would not come into us if we are update i mean is on us to let space foi ignorance or not.

Answer 10

Yes, if don't have the opportunity to be educated, then it is. If you do have the opportunity to be enlightened and you refuse, then it is not better. Stupidity is the embrace of ignorance naivete is not having any options.