2007-04-19 20:27:51 · 21 answers · asked by goodfella 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
- I meant in the spiritual sense. :-)
2007-04-19 21:22:49 · update #1
I Have just seen a bumper sticker that read...
"If ignorance is bliss, then why aren't many people happy?"
Because...ignorance is not bliss!
One day ignorance comes back to haunt you.
What perpetuates it?
Back burner thinking. Putting off till tomorrow.
Out of sight and out of mind thinking.
What did Scarlet O'Hara have to say at the end of "Gone with the wind"?
"I'll think about it tomorrow...tomorrow is another day".
Why does every tomorrow become more cumbersome than the previous one?
Ignorance!
Don't give me the 10 points...I think "Genuine" hit it on the head! Nice answers. You want to see ignorance...look at all those questions regarding what certain groups are doing to people! That ain't ingorance in a nutshell, I'll eat my hat!
2007-04-19 20:34:04 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Ignorance is not only the lack of knowledge it is the lack of any desire to learn (a closed mind). Ignorance is perpetuated by desire and attachment to a certain preexisting idea or concept and the refusal of new ideas on the grounds of bias in favour of the current accepted truth. To break ignorance one must view the world with equanimity (finding the value in all information) and above all else one must not rely on others to teach them the truth, it must be discovered through ones own experience and insight.
2007-04-20 03:44:46 · answer #2 · answered by Erebus 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Since you're asking this in the Religion and Spirituality section I'll answer it in that context. Ignorance is blindly believing in religion where there is no proof of a god. Yet you will go out and wipe out civilizations and cultures in the name of this god and church, or strap a bomb to your body and go to a market and try to kill as many innocent people as you can in the name of your god, or dive your plane into the World Trade Center. And what perpetuates it. When an opposing religion strikes back because they think their god is better than your god. And the fighting goes on and on and on.
Shites against Sunnies (middle east), Catholic against Protestant ( Ireland). When we all realize god did not create man but man created god the religious wars will stop and we will have peace.
2007-04-20 03:42:52 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The root of the word is 'ignore' so I would presume it is ignoring what is really here. One thing that perpetuates it is being in a situation that one feels is so dismal that one does not want to look at it.
2007-04-20 03:31:27 · answer #4 · answered by the Boss 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You've asked for an explanation in a spiritual sense so I'll explain it from a Buddhist perspective if I may be so permitted.
Ignorance to Buddhists is covered by the broad Pali word Avijja. This term is not ignorance in the usual sense of stupidity or being uninformed, it is rather broader in scope and meaning than these limited views
Avijja to Buddhists encompasses the term Wrong View and the concept of Dependent Co-Arising, I won't go into the full explanations of these difficult concepts but suffice to say that they originate in the consciousness from the illusions of permanence in general experience.
Generally, according to Buddhists, Life is experienced from the notion that what we see and experience is a permanent one, never changing. When change is noticed in our awareness stress is experienced and we try to maintain the status quo, often spending time, effort and money to maintain that permanent status. For example, we age, yet we spend lots of money on surgery and beauty products to maintain the appearance of youth, rather than accepting that we age. The idea of permanence in experience is to Buddhists an incorrect one and one which causes unnecessary stresses in our Lives.
These illusions go far beyond simple ageing, they pervade the entire consciousness in all aspects of experience that we encounter yet we continue to see these as permanent...all illusion...all experience is changing and impermanent. Permanence is a wrong view of the experiences we see, according to Budhists.
Keeping within this dream like state of mind results in folks perceptions and expectations of other things being permanent causing more stress. And it is because of these impressions and ideas formed from an incorrect assessment, wrong decisions are made and further stress occurs. It is this maintenance of the illusion of permanence which gives the arising of selfishness and this ignorance of the reality of experience which is known as Avijja.This is only a very brief view of Avijja and only a very incomplete explanation of a host of concepts.
I hope that this helps to understand the Buddhist view of "Ignorance" and helps you to understand the Buddhist concept of Avijja. Please pardon my use of what must seem strange terminology, my intent was not to confuse or offend the other fine answers already posted. Perhaps these ideas can be used as comparison with the other ideas here.
Peace from a Buddhist....
2007-04-20 05:55:11 · answer #5 · answered by Gaz 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Ignorance, strictly speaking, is the lack of knowledge of something. Closed minds perpetuate ignorance.
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2007-04-20 03:30:05 · answer #6 · answered by Weird Darryl 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Ignorance is a vice for the ignorant, and a virtue for the informed.
Fear and laziness perpetuate it, but the ability to make a profit off ignorance is what will keep it around forever.
2007-04-20 03:32:57 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Ignorance is the lack of knowledge and because of that it may lead to lack of understanding and intolerance. I see many people in this section who like to stereotype against groups of people and blame the whole group. This bugs me because everyone is different no matter what religion or nonreligion/beliefs you have. EVERYONE SHOULD REALIZE THIS. But they don't ... which means they are ignorant. This was just an example.. ;)
2007-04-20 03:32:00 · answer #8 · answered by genuine♥ 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Ignorance is a lack of knowledge. Ignorance is also the state of being ignorant or uninformed. For example, "Bill lost the debate because he was ignorant of that subject." In such a case the term is not pejorative, and may even be used as a self-descriptive term, as in, "I am ignorant of English history."
thank you
2007-04-20 03:30:30 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
lack of understanding... nothing else.... poor education and a disregard for the welfare of the child's or adults eduction perpetuates it in all senses. For it is entirely profitable for those who maintain it.
2007-04-20 06:00:29 · answer #10 · answered by James 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋