There is a saying that ignorance is bliss but is it truly blissful to be ignorant?
Well it sort of depends on what one is ignorant about
Generally speaking I think that ignorance will create more issues in the long run
You see, ignorance is due to being unaware of certain information, or a lack of understanding of a certain concept
Naturally, if you are unaware of a problem, then the problem doesn’t affect you right?
Now to some extent, that is true
If you do not know that a problem exist, then you won’t feel troubled, anxiety, stress etc over it
At the same time, that also means the problem will continue doesn’t it?
And if the problem affects in other ways, to other people, then it is in fact spreading issues and negativity to a greater reach
Unless they too are ignorant of the problem, which may or may not be possible depending on the situation and the problem
Let’s say you are a smoker and you do not know that smoking increases risk of lung cancer
On top of that if you smoke at home, second hand smoking for your family has a greater risk of developing too
But if everyone doesn’t know this, then all seems fine and dandy until one day, someone ends up in hospital in pain and suffering
Let me give another example
If for example you have financial issues but you do not let your family know
Then what might your children do?
They might continue to ask for money won’t they?
Putting a strain on you
And if you don’t tell them that actually you are having financial issues but continue to give them money regardless
Then the amount requested gets more and more
Until perhaps one day you explode in anger and that can leave a stain in the relationship
Or you get into greater debt to ensure they continue their ignorance
So to me, ignorance usually creates greater issues in the long run
Here’s an actual case study
So there was this couple who came to me and I had separate chats with them
The wife had anxiety, depression and OCD for cleanliness
Her OCD started due to a series of infections that affected her child, thus making her very concerned for germs and bacteria
Over the years, such anxiety and concern for keeping things clean made her develop depression
The husband on the other hand, felt there was no issue
Rather, he felt that the wife is too smart and thus, she got issues
He admitted to being ignorant of many things and that is also why he has no issues
Now if we stop here, what else do you think might be happening behind closed doors?
Technically, we won’t know right?
Because the original focus was the OCD, then that will be it
However, the wife gradually shared more issues she was experiencing
Such as the husband doesn’t really communicate with her at all, and in fact, when he talk to her, it is always for sex
When the husband does house chores (perhaps due to his ignorance of how to do certain house chores), he will usually mess up and thus, she decided to do everything herself
Perhaps he attempted to wash the clothes but the stain remained so she had to do it again
I won’t share the other examples because I believe by now you are starting to see the price of ignorance
Of course, one can learn can’t they?
However, over the years, the husband hasn’t learnt and still continued this way
Which also means it is putting a strain on the relationship
What can be done about ignorance?
If you are reading this and realize you are ignorant of certain things, then first rejoice
Rejoice because you are aware of your ignorance and thus, you can begin a positive change
There is a very simple 3A formula to solving problems in life
1. A – Awareness
If you are unaware of any problem, you cannot hope to resolve it
So when you are aware of it, you can move to the second A
2. A – Acceptance
There are some who are aware of the problem, but deny it or pretend it doesn’t exist
Perhaps they do not want to admit they have issues, or think it will disappear by itself when you pretend the issues are not there
Thus only when you accept there is an issue to solve, can we move towards solving it
3. A – Action
If you take no actions even after being aware of an issue and accepting it exists, it doesn’t get solve either does it?
Of course, if you take the wrong actions then you won’t solve it either
Only with the right action can the issue be truly solved
Thus, if you are aware of your ignorance and accept that you are ignorant, then we just need the right action
The action is pretty simple
That is to have an open mind and to learn
Keeping an open mind allows you to be more aware of things
It allows you to develop new perspectives
Seeing things from different angles which might help you to solve other issues too
After which then you can truly learn better
Learning new information, new ideas, how things work or are supposed to work
This seem counter-intuitive doesn’t it?
I know what you mean hahaha
If we look back at the above couple, was the husband aware he was doing things wrongly?
Perhaps he was, I do not believe the wife didn’t explain to him what he did wrong
Of course, if she didn’t explain, then did the husband not realize something was wrong when the wife went to wash the clothes a second time?
Before you focus on her OCD, I also want you to think all the way back to when her OCD might not have started or just starting
Because the child didn’t get sick yet for example
So if he didn’t know, it is possible he didn’t want to know – a sense of denial
If he did know, he didn’t accept that his method was wrong, and thus, he will continue to repeat his mistake
However if he did accept that his method was wrong, and learn the better method to wash clothes, to ensure stains are gone or whatever, there will be less strain in the relationship yes?
To be fair, they might have other issues which still put a strain, like the lack of proper communication
If he was aware that he only talk to the wife for sex and nothing else, and that she was not feeling comfortable about it being the only thing he wants from her, could he have started a change to be more of a conversationist?
Yes it is possible
Unless of course there was no love in the marriage and to him its all about sex
That will be a different story leading to a different action to be taken
Which leads to another question
What if one is ignorant of one’s ignorance?
That is very sad indeed
This could be the result of a high ego leading to one thinking they are the best in the world or something
Yet having a closed mind and not accepting of other perspectives or ideas
Even if one has an open mind, there will be some effect still
Now of course there might be some people with a low self esteem due to childhood or school related issues that affect one’s ability to learn
Which can lead to a development of ignorance too
The one who is open minded and accepting of new ideas will be able to break through the ignorance
Unfortunately the one who is closed minded and not accepting will take a while, it is possible they will not change at all too
Sometimes when I encounter such clients, I will wait after sharing what I can with them
If they are close minded and do not accept what I share, I will wait until the price of ignorance claims something from them
Perhaps, only then will they start to be aware of their ignorance and foolishness
