Learning moral, idioms, phrases through fables, history, legends was a significant exercise during childhood.
"Ignorance is bliss", is one such lesson that has been taught to us right from our childhood days. The intensity of this particular lesson taught slowly increased from simple stories to real life situations as one grew up.
A trailer of a recent movie made me contemplate, "Is ignorance truly a bliss?" Isn't the modern approach emphasizing too much on ignorance of many aspects of life in the name of specialization? Can one really ignore learning the survival skills in name of expertise in a financial skill set?
Though I haven't seen the movie yet, but it compels me to think whether staying politically/spiritually/emotionally ignorant a big risk to one's survival itself?
Indic traditions have always discouraged the mode of ignorance (Tamoguna). As a civilization our focus has always been "Knowledge". Ignorance was always discouraged and one's curiosity towards various issues was kindled. In one of his verses, Acharya Chanakya compares an ignorant man with an army without commander, both being destined for defeat!
The Bhagvad Geeta calls a person with predominance of Tamoguna (mode of ignorance) as a 'Vimudhatma'. Such a person is bound by the clutches of delusion, laziness and sleep; ultimately heading towards self-destruction. Isn't our ignorance of important political or dharmic matters making us a Vimudhatma of some form?
If one studies Indian dialectical ( shastric debate) traditions, one realizes that we had a heritage of knowing the opponent's system more then what the opponent himself knew. Knowing one's own subject is good, having awareness of opponent's subject is better, excelling at opponent's subject matter was considered the best. This was the reason that gave rise to such a rich knowledge tradition and heritage.
Isn't it high-time one question one's ignorance of various aspects of life in name of specialization? It's not only limited to political scenario but to things like believing in fake claims on WhatsApp to most important aspects like questioning one's tradition without even making an attempt to study it. The expanse is huge.
Dr. Karan Mittal
MBBS, MA(Sanskrit, Clinical Psychology),
M.Sc (Counselling Psychology), PGDCH, DCHP
Simple yet thought provoking article. We knew what happened to Eve and Adam when the lady attempted to eat the 'fruit of knowledge'.... Is the idiom "Ignorance is bliss" - has something to do with Biblical thoughts and philosophy or the belief system of Christians?
ReplyDeleteDoesn't the modern education system itself crushes the curiousness and promotes mindless rote learning.
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