Ignorance is intelligence when you use your intellect to be ignorant.
In this age of Internet, with instant access to abundance of information, ignorance is the most essential tool people need to find peace and happiness; yes, it’s a tool and it needs intelligence to use it! Information in itself is not knowledge, but with intellect knowledge is derived from information. Once the information is in your head, often you don’t have control over what knowledge will be derived from it. Knowing is not always a good thing; knowing wrong things is always a bad thing.
It is naïve and egoistic to think that we are all capable of absorbing all information and deal with the knowledge that we gain from it. The truth is very far from it. Today, in this information age, more people suffer and live unhappy, with fear and uncertain outlook of their future, from KNOWING than NOT KNOWING.
Not long ago, the smart and intelligent ones that migrated from villages and country living to the cities and towns were the fortunate ones who found happiness and prosperity. The ones that stayed back, with their simple living, often in ignorance and poverty, were the losers. This judgment is clearly questionable now. Many of the educated and smart ones in the cities are just as unhappy, as they KNOW the million things that could go wrong with their life; they live in fear and uncertainty. They can’t deal with the things they KNOW.
So, you suffer from KNOWING or you suffer from NOT KNOWING. Why is our education and intelligence failing us? Is there a way out from this suffering?
Yes, there is a way; it is using your intelligence to be ignorant. It is the age old doctrine of “See no evil; Hear no evil; Speak no evil”, properly adapted to the Internet age. Use you intelligence to filter information; sort those matter to your life TODAY from those that don’t matter to you TODAY. Don’t seek, read or hear unnecessary information. For most people, watching the 6 o’clock news doesn’t keep them abreast of what’s going on in this world; it induces more fear and uncertainty in their head. Surfing the Net and reading assorted (may be) facts that are interesting can do more harm than good.
What information you need is something only you know, based on your life, lifestyle, and profession. You need to use your intelligence to be ignorant of all other information. Choosing to KNOW, with the belief that you could deal with the knowledge that comes from the unnecessary information is naïve gambling.
Your thoughts and actions are largely influenced by what you learn through seeing, hearing, and speaking. Be ignorant when you need to be; choose when to use your eyes, ears, and voice. Then ignorance is bliss, and it brings you peace and happiness.
It is not without reason the three monkeys in this image are often referred to as “The three wise monkeys”!
