To be happy takes ignorance?

Question

When I listen to this song... Bliss, by Muse (Link in Edit), I imagine the person he sings about, who is oh so happy and perfect...

But this perfect happiness, is it possible?

I always had it in my head that no one is truly happy- Underneath those smiling masks is a great deal of pain and sorrow being supressed...

But, there are generally people who are really happy. These people... must be very ignorant then? Ignorant of the world around them... of all the wrong in the world, all the pain and suffering of those around...

I guess I am just envious. I am 18, I stopped feeling that true happy feeling many years ago. When the veil of childhood was lifted from my eyes, I started seeing things for what they were, a world that isn't so perfect.

This is just a rant. But the main thing I am saying is...

To be really happy, takes a great amount of ignorance, even if you arn't aware of it...

Do you agree?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrROiUNwgCM

Answer 1

I don't agree at all. Though I can see why you might feel that way.

What makes a lot of people unhappy is that the universe doesn't live up to their expecations and hopes. They can imagine that it would be nice to have no pain in the world or if everyone was friendly to one another or something of that nature, and they observe all that this is completely not so. And they become more aware of how not so it is as their experience with the world increases... so they conclude that since they were happier when they knew less that it must be so.

But if you pick that apart carefully, you might see a number of ways in which it might not be so.

For example, if you didn't have high expectations for the world in the first place, you would have no reason to be upset or disappointed no matter how much it sucked. And there are a lot of eastern philosophies which encourage just this - seeking happiness by eliminating your desire or that sense of your self which insists that things should be one way over another.

Another way in which it might not be so is from lack of imagination. There are many uncreative people in the world, and because they can't imagine utopian castles in the sky, they have no reason to long for them. Things are as they are and how things AREN'T just doesn't enter into the picture. It would be a bit strange to apply the term 'ignorant' to such a person, since what they lack isn't knowledge of things, but knowledge of non-things.

There are also many people who are optimists. A pessimist can look at the world and see everything that is going wrong, but an optimist sees everything that is going right. Such a person will grant that there may be murder, torture, and agony in life, but they will feel that it is more than offset by the birth, beauty, and kindness that can be found there. They see all the same things as anyone else... they just VALUE them differently.

Answer 2

Finding your own happiness is one of the most important journeys you will go on in your life. I'm 23 and felt very similar at 18. I still have a very long way to go. I've learned, though, that ignorance does not equal the kind of happiness I want to obtain... ignorance gives you a false sense of "happiness" more like a security blanket. It reminds me of when I was little and would hide under the covers if I was scared... as if to say, I'm happy under here and no one can hurt me as long as this blanket is covering me. Obviously, that blanket did not protect me in the slightest! The world is similar... you can ignore it, but it's not going to change. It will still be there when you open your eyes. Being happy is something that happens inside yourself. This world can be a depressing, awful, unfair place, but you can't hide from it. You'll end up lonely and afraid for the rest of your life. You are responsible for your own happiness. Do some soul searching. Figure out what it is that makes YOU happy. When you have inner peace, facing the world is much easier.

Answer 3

Here's how I see it. I said this once to a friend who asked the same question.

Stupid people are happy, because they are ignorant of the suffering in the world.
Smart people are unhappy, because they know there is suffering in the world.
Wise people are happy, because they know there is suffering in the world, and therefore they see the significance of trivial joys and small acts of kindness. They know that suffering is an emotion all people experience, but they also know that every person is loved and every person has smiled.

Answer 4

This realization means you are very inteligent. There are only two kinds of people that are happy in this materia world. The ignorant and the self reaized souls. Everyone esle is suffering like anthing. Actually the ignorant are suffering to they are just in deeper illuiosn. The key to happiness is to realize that we are not this material body, IE; Race, color, nationality, Religion, mind, intellect, senses, job, etc. We are all eternal spirit souls, part and parcel of the Supreme Soul, also known as Krishna, Allah, Jehovah, Vishnu, etc. We never die, only this mortal body dies. This material world is not our real home, it is called Maya (illusion) and is temporary and full of misery, only one fourth of the souls come here, and the rest are enjoying blissful eternal loving relationships with our Maker named above. We fell here due to envying Gods position. He made the material world for those who want to try to live separately from Him (Which is impossible because He is actually everywhere). After many lifetimes of trying to be happy in this temporary world one becomes frustrated and board and begins to question their existence. We then seek out real happiness, and when one becomes sincere God reveals how to come back Home. Those who are intelligent, take up the process of self realization (Bhakti Yoga) which begins with the chanting of the Maha Mantra (the great mantra for deliverance from all suffering and illusion), which gives one real peace, happiness and reality. Then at the end of life they can give up all material attachments and fully surrender to God and return to the eternal Kingdom, where there is no more birth, death, old age, or disease and be eternally happy. For info. Go to harekrishnatemple.com Read Bhagavad Gita- As it is by Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada asitis.com Can be read on line. You are getting closer to reality don't stop now.

Answer 5

When I was afraid of the dark, my dad told me I was safe and secure, although he was not planning to watch over me with a shot gun.

He said no evil would come to me, and that LIE helped me sleep.

In turn, as a father myself, I told that VERY NECESSARY lie to my son when he got scared.

Similarly, when dad and I ended up in the darkest jungles of Detroit, he would tell me we were SAFE.

I look back on those times and realise it could have been very bad for us, but that lie of my father kept me peaceful and calm.

If a little bit of a harmless "white lie" gets your children through the night, that lie can be a good decision.

If children knew how dangerous the world is, and how powerless we are against the evil that may come, childhood might be a frantic fearful nightmare.

Ignorance is bliss, sometimes.

Answer 6

The Law of Attraction states that that which you focus on you see more of. When we give our attention and our energy to something we are giving it our life force, we are feeding it.

Einstien said, "You can't solve a problem with the same consciousness that created it." I think this is in agreement with the Law of Attraction in that you can't look at poverty and feel within you the pain of poverty because you will then be at the level, experiencing the effect of poverty within yourself.

Would it not make a person happy to see the best in people and bless them in thought to reach their highest potential? Being at peace within and allowing and not resisting is happiness, not ignorance.

Answer 7

I agree. You have to be ignorant of all the pain and suffering in the world to be happy. You have to look past that there are some people that just dont like you. You have to look past the fact that you have hurt some people/ You have to forget all the times you were sad and people rejected you. To be happy, you have to be able to let things go and forget and well be ingnorant/

Answer 8

no i don't agree - i am happy for what i have got. If i could help people in the world i would. i am not ignorant i know people suffer in other countries and even in this country (for lots of different resons). so i am not ignorant to it, it's the fact i carn't do nothing about it.

i wish i could help people in horrible situations i feel bad and upset that there in that situation.

but generaly i am happy.

and for you to say everyone is ignorant what can we do?

be sad because of things that happen, the way things are.

Answer 9

Possibly, but it could also be argued that being fully aware of all the possible unhappy things life can throw at us and knowing that, at this moment, you are not experiencing any, can also be a source of great happiness.

Answer 10

I think Schopenhauer expressed some ideas to the effect that to be happy, you have to be interested in yourself and those around you and tune out the sufferings of the world.