...Majumdar 4576366 Question 3 : Ignorance is Bliss “Ignorance is bliss” was first put into a phrase by Thomas Gray in is ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College. When considering this, to me the key thing to understand is perception. “Comparison is the thief of joy” – Theodore Roosevelt. If we are to say that ignorance is bliss, then we are saying that knowledge is sadness. Turing and Russell, noted logicians, would say that of course ignorance is bliss. When we are unaware of the things that could make us unhappy, we are in a state of happiness. But is that to say we were happier? Ignorance is plainly then just ignorance. It is only through knowledge that we can understand that we were happier when we didn’t know. We do not know what we are ignorant of until we discover the truth. To the example at hand; Cypher would be neither happier nor unhappier being back in the matrix. The only way he would know that he was blissful would be by comparison, making this idea in itself a paradox. “The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation, but the thoughts about it. Beware of the thoughts you are thinking” – Eckhart Tolle. Tolle’s view supports the idea that it is the knowledge that makes us understand whether or not we are happy. The idea that thinking is what makes us happy goes all the way back to Descartes, in a way. If the only thing we are sure about are our thoughts, then we are the masters of our own ignorance and our own bliss. Having a Socratic understanding...
Words: 687 - Pages: 3
...Gokulnath Govindan Dr. Aratrika Das ENG 104 August 26, Tuesday 2014 What implication does denial have in our understanding of the world? “Ignorance is Bliss!!” In this chapter “Silencing”, from his book, A Language Older Than Words, Derrick Jensen seeks to understand the barbarity that humans inflict upon each other as well as the world in which they live. He fails to understand the fact that “if our behaviour is not making us happy, why do we act this way“ (15)? Jensen uses the help of terms such as Denial and Silencing in order to answer this question. We can safely interpret from the essay that in this particular context, silencing and denial coexist and more often act as synonyms. Therefore, the fact that denial is not explicitly mentioned in Jensen’s essay does not mean that he is ignoring it. Although we shall be looking at what denial is and how understanding it helps the author in answering his central question, the primary aim of this paper is to look at the implications denial has in our understanding of the world. This is so because if there were no implications of denial, other questions of what it is or why it occurs could be rendered completely pointless. According to Oxford English Dictionary, Denial is defined as “asserting (of anything ) to be untrue or untenable”. Jensen talks of three forms of denial in his essay. The first form mentioned is self-denial or in this context, the victim’s denial. Jensen’s own experience with childhood...
Words: 1458 - Pages: 6
...Ignorance is Not Bliss Cathedral, written by Raymond Carver, is a short fiction essay with the narrator as the real protagonist that goes through a significant transformation. The author’s choice of point of view as well as, the theme and symbolism shown in Cathedral provide evidence to support the protagonist’s epiphany of overcoming his own prejudices. An important theme includes ignorance and understanding and the main symbol of the story is the cathedral itself. These components of the story are important in bringing out the narrator’s epiphany, where he comes to accept people for how they are and realize that he is not superior to someone who has an impairment. Carver chose first person as the point of view for this story. First person narrators are characters who tell the story from the perspective of “I” or “We”. This point of view gives the reader a chance to experience the story how the narrator sees and understands the world. In Cathedral, our narrator speaks in short, chopped sentences in the beginning. This shows the reader that he is lacking self-awareness, arrogant, and/or insecure. The narrator only sees Robert as a blind man, from the start. Throughout the story as the narrator gets to know Robert better, he becomes more descriptive with his sentences and his structure is not as choppy. This is important in showing his change of traits. This demonstrates to the readers that the narrator grows from ignorant to more open-minded and accepting, especially of...
Words: 1428 - Pages: 6
...Paulo Gabriel L. Esguerra English IV 02/16/2014 “Ignorance is Sometimes Bliss” “Ignorance is Bliss”, the advice most people give when a person is facing a problem. When life gets tough and unyielding, it is better to ignore the problem. Why do you need to stress out over something that does not concern or benefit you in anyway? Why would you even want to care? That statement brings this sort of mentality to society and is the cause for many of the pain and sufferings in this world. Do you think that hunger and poverty would exist if everyone cared? Are the suffering not humans too that we can afford to turn a blind eye to what’s already in front of us? There are many ways to fix a problem; believe it or not, ignorance actually makes the situation worse. The problem will always exist if it hadn’t been dealt with, the question is if you will have the courage to face it. Courage isn’t the solution to everything. One may be the bravest soul around but may also be the most idiotic. The best way to face a problem is to “know thy enemy.” This method takes careful planning and extensive study on the subject though the results will be to your favour. Always remember the saying, “knowledge is power”; the more one is knowledgeable on the subject, the more opportunities present themselves and it will just come down to deciding the best course of action. A knowledgeable person will face a problem by exploiting its weaknesses and striking while the iron is hot. Timing...
Words: 981 - Pages: 4
...Who Says Ignorance is Bliss? Stereotypes are qualities or characteristics that are often assigned to a group based on their gender, race, sexual orientation and nameless other catagories. These assigned qualities or characteristics are usually exaggerated or distorted beliefs that we have labeled these groups with. We are all guilty of stereotyping, whether we do it consciously or subconsciously, we all at one time or another have taken part in it. There are three stereotypes that I have recognized in my own life and I now understand how my misconceptions and/or those of others may have had a negative effect on those who were erroneously characterized within these stereotypical labels. Convicts who are released and given their freedom never really experience total freedom. They will forever carry around the title of “ex-con”. Job applications, rental applications, and sometimes even credit applications will ask if the person has ever been convicted of a felony. They will also be asked why there is a lapse in work history or residence history. Once the person explains that they where incarcerated for a period of time, they are automatically looked at under a different light. It is assumed that they are not trustworthy and are just going to repeat their crimes. I myself was guilty of this until about five years ago. The management company I work for has strict rules when it comes to renting to someone who has been convicted of a felony. We are instructed to deny the...
Words: 1332 - Pages: 6
...Ignorance is Bliss Many people believe that more knowledge leads to more happiness. However, the well-known saying "Ignorance is bliss" may be more credible than people think. Many times, people are hurt by the truth. Therefore, more knowledge does not make one happier because the truth can be devastating and have a negative impact on one's life. When you are ignorant, you choose to not recognize that there is wrong in the world or that wrong is being done to you. This proverb can be clearly illustrated in Plato’s ‘Allegory of the Cave’ and the story of ‘Oedipus the King’. In the story of ‘Oedipus the king’, it is prophesized that Oedipus would kill his father and marries his mother. If Oedipus had remained oblivious of the ancient prophecy he would not have ultimately stabbed out his own eyes. And imposed on himself the penalty of exile. He was so desperate for knowledge and to find out the truth that in the end he caused pain to himself. If he would remain ignorant, he would not have gone through much pain. His thirst of knowing the truth was the road through his tragic end. For Oedipus, ignorance would have been bliss. In the case of Plato’s ‘Allegory of the Cave’, once the prisoner is released he is forced to look upon the fire and objects that were his reality. He realizes these new images in front of him are now the accepted forms of reality. Plato describes the vision of the real truth in one way to the prisoners. Thus, they do not realize that they are looking at...
Words: 516 - Pages: 3
...In Fahrenheit 451, there is a struggle between knowledge and ignorance, and the novel shows how people cope when faced with this struggle. It can be debated, but the pursuit of knowledge is key, and ignorance is not always bliss. The pursuit of knowledge is crucial for Guy Montag, the society as a whole, as well the sanity of everybody. Montag is lost, depressed, and lonely because he felt as if a part of his life was missing. He would wander through the streets at night crying, wondering what was wrong with him, screaming to the skies about the constant weight on his shoulders. Over time, he began to stash books in his vents and pursue reading more. After this, he changed. He seemed lighter, happier, and overall more content with his life. The mere presence of books brought him such a great happiness and began to fulfill his need for knowledge. Clarisse McClellan also struggled with her desperation for knowledge. By the government, she was deemed “different” and “strange” due to the fact she adored reading, writing, and reading. People crossed streets to avoid her, students at school tormented her, and even parts of her own family disowned her. All these actions were a result of her need for knowledge. Ultimately, she ended up taking her own life because she felt so unwanted, she could not express her love for knowledge, and she felt as peculiar as a violin in a marching band. Citizens were burned and were willing to be burned alive if it meant that they were going to lose...
Words: 793 - Pages: 4
...The Matrix, Plato, and Descartes For centuries, man has embarked on a relentless, philosophical journey to unearth a necessary answer to the question—what is real? The megahit film, The Matrix, ingeniously created by the Wachowski brothers, brings the world’s most celebrated, philosophical theories to light as they attempt to postulate a binding remedy. The first of these theories dates past 380 BC, when Plato crafted his allegorical masterpiece, “The Cave,” which denotes a metaphor contrasting the manner in which man perceives reality. The second involves French philosopher Rene Descartes and his recognized dissertation, “Meditation,” which also proposes a distinctive perspective on the issue. A comprehensive study of the philosophical concepts of “The Cave” and “Meditations” and their manner of manifestation in The Matrix allows one to broaden and enhance his understanding of reality. First of all, one can find several analogous elements when comparing the three works. Each of these revolves around the concept that the illusions man accepts as truth drastically differ from reality. This reality is then unveiled in distinct, but related journeys, which involve a source of deception and a series of logical, enlightening experiences and steps. These steps include a progressive doubt, a means of escape to find truth, a common agony in facing truth, and a growing acceptance of reality and the altered life it comes with. In The Matrix, an average computer programmer, Neo, is led...
Words: 1090 - Pages: 5
...In our world today, ignorance is a fluent trait in our population. People live through their lives in an ignorant bliss because they do not take time to look into reasoning beyond a normal perspective. Ignorance doesn’t necessarily refer to one’s knowledge in an academic sense but more so is one’s understanding of our surroundings and the world. It cannot be seen with a blind eye, but when looked at on a large scale, our population’s ignorance from our entertainment, inaccurate beliefs, and media will be the downfall of our misunderstood world. Ignorance often defines and influences our morals and social dramatic instances. We let our ego control our actions by only doing things if will be amusing or influential to our piers. This kind of thinking causes us to avoid seeing as things as they really are, instead we just agree with the majority’s view. The reason we think in this sense is because of our fear of the unknown. It is a fear that is not necessarily scary and normally we don’t even realize its existence, but when our ignorance begins to fade, we see how corrupt and self-centered our world is becoming. Ignorance mainly grows from our media that often solely influences our minds. For example, what we consider entertainment is drama, comedy, and reality shows on television. The drama people see usually effects how they think and how they look at others, though most people never take time to realize that all television drama is staged and made out to be...
Words: 818 - Pages: 4
...People often choose the easy way out of things, which is to ignore them and simply turning the other cheek. They justify this by claiming that this is what Jesus wanted them to do in the bible, and that ignorance is bliss. It may be a bliss at certain times, but sometimes this type of ignorance is the chief reason behind all the chaos that is happening in the world. In fact we’re all told that ignoring our problems and our work will only make it harder to achieve later, same goes with the world’s conflicts if we continue to ignore them then we’re merely just adding gasoline to the fire. Sooner or later, and even though we all prefer the later part we’re going to have to deal with the consequences of what we ignored. This is especially true in the 2011 Egyptian revolution. After 30 years of mistreatment, 30 years of being “neutral” Egyptians finally had enough, and started pushing back. Not accepting no for an answer and finally demanding their own rights as citizens, demanding their right to finally breathe and maybe have a better future for them and their children. “Identifying problems and actively promoting solutions are necessary to effect useful change, being neutral is consenting to the status quo.” This change only happened after the people spoke and the former president resigned and left Cairo. That is when they started to breathe again, only then did hope start to come out again and fill their souls. A lot argue that neutrality is actually better than speaking up,...
Words: 496 - Pages: 2
...People often say ignorance is bliss, however that doesn’t apply to Caesar. It is because of ignorance that Caesar is killed by the conspirators in William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. However it is not only ignorance that leads to Caesar’s death, fatal flaws also play a role in Caesar's demise. Caesar has his fair share of fatal flaws affecting both his private and public life. Caesar’s public pride, stubbornness to those close to him, and constant naiveness and nobility ultimately led him to his doom. In Caesar’s public life, his pride runs his life. For example, Calpurnia had convinced Caesar not to go the Senate after having a terrifying dream about Caesar’s death. In her dream, Calpurnia saw Caesar's body in a fountain of blood with Romans...
Words: 716 - Pages: 3
...Red Pill or Blue Pill They say that the most intelligent people in life are the unhappy people. Ernest Hemingway, Sylvia Plath, Vincent Van Gough some of the most famous people have committed suicide. When searching for truth and purpose within life one is subjecting themselves to a life of unhappiness. With every decision in one’s life one chooses whether to remain ignorant to their surroundings or to become knowledgeable to the absolute truth within life. I believe that it is in each individual’s best interest to remain “ignorant and happy”, but as the curious humans’ we cannot resist a chance to discover the absolute truth and meaning to life in general and in our own life. Through examining Platos , “Allegory of the Cave, the Matrix and other examples, it will be proven why I believe that it is in one’s best interest to remain ignorant, but as humans we have a need to discover truth and purpose within life. Plato's “Allegory of the Cave” is a scenario where 6 prisoners are chained to the ground. They are forced to stare at a wall where everyday shadows or people objects and creatures are projected onto the wall by the Sun. The prisoners believe that the shadows are real life until one day a prisoner gets a chance to leave the cave and see that everything he once thought was true was in fact false. The one prisoner tries to tell the rest of the prisoners about the truth but all they hear is echoes. If the prisoner must return back to the cave after seeing the real world...
Words: 873 - Pages: 4
...Ignorance In Today’s Society Older generations of today’s society did not have access to the power of the internet or other electronic devices like children and adolescents do today. Those generations actually sat down to read a book, while teens and children of today skim over what they are given to read, or look it up on the internet. In Nicholas Carr’s, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”, He talks about how society has progressed from technology and also how it makes people lazy. Instead of hours of research and actually learning about a topic, students can use the internet and find the answer with a couple clicks of a mouse. Also, adolescents get distracted by using other parts of the internet, such as social networking. In, Daniel Solove’s, “The End Of Privacy”, he discusses how technology can leave people vulnerable to public attack, an inescapable past, and identity theft. Once something is posted on the internet, it will stay there forever. Criticism of the Web most often questions whether today’s society is becoming more superficial and scattered with their thinking. The internet has changed society by making it the default point of almost all work. The Web is different in almost all aspects from a book. Printed books have contained the essential truths of humanity long before the internet was even a thought, while the Web is a conglomerate of wisdom from many sights and authors. Today, a person would rather read a couple articles on...
Words: 1052 - Pages: 5
...The poem “Eloisa to Abelard” was written in 1717 by Alexander Pope, the main characters are Peter Abelard, a wealthy scholar and Eloisa, Abelard’s mistress. Abelard and Eloisa fall in love and get married; Eloisa’s family is not in favor of this and castrates Abelard. After the assault, even though Eloisa and Abelard had a child, they decided to go to monasteries. Eloisa is tortured by the separation and is constantly contemplating weather to live the simple happy life and follow God, or to follow her heart and pursue Abelard. The movie “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” is a romantic fantasy about Joel and Clementine who both have procedures to have their memory of each other erased but meet each other again and fall in love again, the movie ending says that they hear tapes of what happened in the past and they learn from their mistakes and live happily ever after. The relationship between art and happiness is that the art and happiness are more effective when Eloisa and Abelard remember each other and choose a life together. In the poem, Eloisa says “Not on the Cross my eyes were fix'd, but you: Not grace, or zeal, love only was my call, And if I lose thy love, I lose my all.” Eloisa marries Abelard because she is truly in live with him and wants the life that is natural to every human. Wanting to find someone to spend the rest of your life with is part of human genetics, healthy human genetics. She says that her eyes were not fixed on the cross, but her eyes were...
Words: 1133 - Pages: 5
...n our world today, ignorance is a fluent trait in our population. People live through their lives in an ignorant bliss because they do not take time to look into reasoning beyond a normal perspective. Ignorance doesn’t necessarily refer to one’s knowledge in an academic sense but more so is one’s understanding of our surroundings and the world. It cannot be seen with a blind eye, but when looked at on a large scale, our population’s ignorance from our entertainment, inaccurate beliefs, and media will be the downfall of our misunderstood world. Ignorance often defines and influences our morals and social dramatic instances. We let our ego control our actions by only doing things if will be amusing or influential to our piers. This kind of thinking causes us to avoid seeing as things as they really are, instead we just agree with the majority’s view. The reason we think in this sense is because of our fear of the unknown. It is a fear that is not necessarily scary and normally we don’t even realize its existence, but when our ignorance begins to fade, we see how corrupt and self-centered our world is becoming. Ignorance mainly grows from our media that often solely influences our minds. For example, what we consider entertainment is drama, comedy, and reality shows on television. The drama people see usually effects how they think and how they look at others, though most people never take time to realize that all television drama is staged and made out to be the...
Words: 352 - Pages: 2
