Poll: Ignorant but blissful or Intelligent but suffering?

[Sir Thomas Sean Connery]

I prefer "Intelligent and Apathetic"

Then I can still know a lot of thing about the world, but I don't give a rats ass so I have no weight on my shoulders.

Happiness for the win!

 

[retyopy]

Ignorant. I can always learn more things if I want to. It'd be a bit harder the other way round.

I wish I had thought of that. Can I have your opinion and you take mine?

 

[Indeterminacy]

Suffering is transient and easily endured. Ignorance is a serious handicap.

Both are inevitable, but the less of each, the better.

... Maybe?

 

[theheroofaction]

I think I'm gonna have to go with This guys [http://www.bugcomic.com/comics/ignorance-was-bliss/] opinion on the subject.

 

[retyopy]

Its a hard one, isnt it? Obviously, everyone in this thread, including me, considers themselves intelligent and suffering (we always consider ourselves more wise than others and always think our suffering is greater than that of others) but I dont know...

The thing is, im 17 years of age, so I have a lot of things to learn and experience and all, but until now, thinking and being aware of things around me has done nothing for me. On the contrary actually, its actually got me into a lot of trouble.

I just dont fucking know. To give you a proper answer, you would have to define ignorant - im certain that a few people would consider me highly ignorant, and that I would consider others ignorant even though they think differently of themselves - but assuming I am intelligent and suffering, who knows what the world looks like through ignorant eyes? What if your stupid and happy, but get into a bad situation, and lack the intelligence to get out of it? Bad example, but you get the gist.

Anyway, back to the OT: I voted ignorant but blissful because, well, I would be blissful. Im not exactly happy right now and I could use that. If the poll asked me if I would rather be intelligent and blissful, or ignorant and suffering I would have chosen intelligent only because of the blissful part.

pretty much what you said. Because if you're happy, who the fuck CARES?

 

[xXGeckoXx]

I chose intelligence because of the big picture. People who pick ignorance are selfish. I emphasize that given the choice in a magic fairy style scenario those that chose bliss are weak in character choosing personal gain over productivity.

 

[Catfood220]

I prefer "Intelligent and Apathetic"

Then I can still know a lot of thing about the world, but I don't give a rats ass so I have no weight on my shoulders.

Happiness for the win!

I like the way you think.

Also cats are awesome...unless they leave half eaten vermin in your hallway for you to stand on with bare feet first thing in the morning.

 

[NotSoLoneWanderer]

I've already chosen the intelligent path and sometimes it helps a lot of the time it doesn't. I'll suffice to say that my knowledge of history and science can be a liability even if i don't open my mouth to point out the not so obvious I still suffer by staying quiet just because some of the people around me have little interest to become informed. Even my smarter friends drink and some do weed but alas I'll always be there to give them statistics. (let me specify by saying most of my friends are smart and the dumber people around me are more like associates but It's my nature to be nice to all around me and not just alienate myself from them)

 

[MoNKeyYy]

I'd rather be a happy dumbass, becasue right now I'm fucking miserable and knowing the things I do isn't helping me fucking any.


...why yes, now that you mention it I am I a tad bitter, why do you ask?

 

[Richardplex]

Open the door to knowledge, and you can't shut it again. You can never learn everything, but that yearning to learn it all stays. I'm a going with ignorant is bliss. Doing theoretical physics at uni if you want any context. And I know I'm selfish, and cool with it.

 

[Richardplex]

Hey! That's cheating, go back, revise, CHEATER MCCHEATYPANTS!

Is it just me or are you a few beers down?

Retyopy is just being Retyopy... no offence man, I find your antics quite amusing.

 

[Brandon237]

To deny myself knowledge would in and of itself, make me unhappy.
That should answer your question.

 

[Ray Conner]

I don't actually understand how awsome my life was, until I learn about something that sucks. As it stands, I can't actually enjoy my ignorance, I can only look back at the point at which I didn't know anything.
Also, knowledge gives me the ability to act on my displeasure, and change the circumstances for the better. Case and point, if a spider is crawling up my arm I would rather know about it so I could kill the stupid thing as opposed to letting it crawl onto my face. Ergo, knowledge is infinitly better in every circumstance sans any lovecraftian horrer setting.

 

[Quantom Quak]

Recently, I've kind of left my fun friends for a few I can get in an actual intellectual debate with. I am actually feeling pretty bad, because I know my current friends will never be as good as my other friends.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

Intelligent. And I don't suffer from it. I don't worry about things I cannot change. I change the things I can, and deal with the rest of things life hands to me. I'm happy with what I have, what I know and life moves on. In ignorance I'd only be less the person I am and thus could not guarantee I'd be happy.

 

[Christars]

Intelligence, because the value I place on my own existence is pretty much governed by how smart I am, being a mathematician and all.

With intelligence you are able to act and fulfill your role in society better, helping humanity - not only on the day-to-day-basis of doing your job and feeding your family (for those who have that), but actually contributing to the growth of humanity as a species, allowing all the countless humans who will come to be a greater chance to actually survive and prosper.

Ignorance? At best you'll be able to work to maintain the status quo, just keeping society afloat but not actually improving it; which is, in a sense, the same as deteriorating it, since after all everything deteriorates with time if not constantly improved upon.

Putting it this way: Some day the Earth will be destroyed. Would I cast away my only chance to prevent humanity from being destroyed along with it, just to have some "ignorant bliss"? No.

Also, personally I tend to notice that the more I know about the world, the more joy I can find in it, and the better I'm able to calmly cope with situations that displease me, while ignorant people generally just go into a raging fit whenever their fragile mental peace is disturbed by something. Doesn't seem all that great?

As a finisher; CATS! And a seconding of this one:

http://www.bugcomic.com/comics/ignorance-was-bliss/

Good stuff!

 

[Stephanos132]

Ignorant. Nobody expects the world of you then. Plus other things.

 

[babinro]

For me, ignorance truly is bliss.

The less I know about the horrible acts going on in the world around me, the happier I am to enjoy my little slice of life as part of the 'system'.

Being ignorant means that I'm happily surprised to learn about simple things as they become relevant to me and I'm more likely to take joy in my surroundings while being less cynical.

 

[Catchy Slogan]

Ignorant. I can always learn more things if I want to. It'd be a bit harder the other way round.

I wish I had thought of that. Can I have your opinion and you take mine?

Nope! I like mine better ;P