Ignorance is bliss, right?
Or is being informed on a subject and then having the ability to form an independent opinion on it what truly makes us happy?
As humans we all experience the quest for knowledge at some point; we like to keep informed on at least some of the happenings in the world. But where does this quest lead us?
As soon as we start to ask questions, the snowball effect begins. We rapidly roll downhill gathering as much information as possible, until we stop. But where have we ended up?
Some people might say that “knowledge is power,” that once we gather all of the information we possibly can we are strong, and maybe even unstoppable.
We have become informed citizens and have the power to make a change, but only if we all have the same opinion. We all have to believe in and want the same things or else we will be right back where we started.
But what if all of this knowledge is weighing us down?
What if we snowball into a pit of despair? That all of this knowledge that we have gained has caused us to realize how messed up this world really is?
Learning about all of the bad things going on in the small communities, states, countries and the world can be a heavy load. This can turn some people away from the quest for knowledge because it is difficult to tell if the end of that quest is discovering that there is nothing that we can do or that we do have the ability to make a change.
Knowledge is something that can cause a lot of stress. Knowing about how terrible things are can make people very anxious. Like when you hear about a plane crash a week before you take a trip or a virus that could affect your family. Like in the ‘50s and ‘60s when building a bomb shelter was a reasonably common occurrence.
In a couple of my classes we have been learning about how poor of a condition our world is in, both environmentally and governmentally. Other students in my classes have admitted how sad and nervous knowing this makes them.
Having this information has given people the opportunity to be stressed. And knowing it has also given people a lack of hope. How are we supposed to be able to make a change when we are too far into this terrible world we have created?
I’m not saying that it’s impossible but it’s currently improbable. Eventually we will get to a point where we will all crack and force a change. But right now that’s most likely not going to happen. Not until we, as a small community and as a global community, can agree not only that we don’t like where the world is headed, but also the direction that we want the world to go.
So after considering all of this, we can revisit my original question: Ignorance is bliss, right?

SARAH BARTKOWIAK
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