2007-11-10 10:20:52 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
It's saying that you won't worry about things you don't know about.
2007-11-10 10:23:33 · answer #1 · answered by Judy 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
It's a line (next to the last) from Thomas Gray's poem "Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College." In the poem he's thinking of the schoolboys at Eton, speculating about all the bad things that may soon happen to them. The full quote is:
No more; where ignorance is bliss,
Tis folly to be wise.
In other words, the Gray thinks the boys are only happy because they've no idea how miserable their lives will become in the future. But, if that is so, he muses, it's better to be ignorant so as not to spoil the pleasant time they're having now.
Gray was quite serious, but these days, the line is used more often as sarcasm. "Ignorance is bliss" usually refers to a person the speaker thinks rather uninformed and/or stupid, although it sometimes expresses a wish to be so. The idea, especially in the latter case, is still similar, though, to Gray's. If what will happen to you will happen regardless of what you can do, is it not better to be completely unaware of your impending doom than to know and worry about it?
Often, though, the connotation is now that the individual *could* help him/herself if only he/she would 'wake up.'
Ex:
Francie: Did you know Henry is cheating on Dora?
Mike: No! Does Dora know?
Francie, rolling her eyes: I doubt it. You know how Dora is.
Mike: Oh well, 'ignorance is bliss'!
Both snicker.
2007-11-10 19:00:50 · answer #2 · answered by raoullefere 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Remember the cartoons showing a dog on the sidewalk tilting his head with a dumb and innocent expression on his face? A heavy safe has fallen off the top of a 100 story building and is about to fall on his head!
THAT is ignorance is bliss!
.
2007-11-10 23:02:32 · answer #3 · answered by Freesumpin 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
You know a dog that waited for its owner who died in accident. The dog waited because it didn't know its owner died. People built its statue because of that. Ignorence is bliss.
2007-11-10 20:23:51 · answer #4 · answered by Fake Genius 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Judy is correct but it also means that the things you know that could be troublesome or fearful can be ignored out of your mind to avoid being involved or hurt.
2007-11-10 18:27:11 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
It means you can't see the thing that's going to bite a big chunk out of your life.
2007-11-10 21:04:06 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
ex. your friend Bertha calls you a fat and ugly cow that looks like you got your face stomped on by elephants. you have no clue she said this, so you are happy with life.
get it?
2007-11-10 18:52:57 · answer #7 · answered by Tayler T 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
it is the way in which christians want everyone to live, without asking them any questions concerning theology and doctrine.
2007-11-10 18:31:05 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
It means that sometimes if you don't know something, you will be happier
2007-11-10 18:29:05 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
The less you know, the less you have to think about; the less you have to think about, the less you have to worry about.
2007-11-10 18:31:28 · answer #10 · answered by alimcj 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋