How can IGNORANCE be positive?
By agmamayo
@agmamayo (804)
Philippines
March 21, 2012 7:21pm CST
According to Wikipedia, Ignorance is the state of being uninformed or plain lack of knowledge, additional definition, a state of being unaware. If we hear someone saying "How could you be so ignorant!" we feel bad about it and at times we feel ashamed. We always think of this word to be negative, bad or unfavorable. Is there a way that we can see ignorance, ignore or ignorant to be a positive word too? Are these words always associated with a negative trait, characteristic, or thinking? Can you share some ideas that at times these words can be considered positive too?
2 people like this
10 responses
@megamatt (14292)
• United States
23 Mar 12
Only when ignorance leads to a rather twisted form of innocence. There are times where people have been cleared of accusations, because there is no way they could have done as this or that. Whether they did it or not, that is rather irrelevant. The fact is that they are ignorant, thus they are unable to really be able to do these misdoings. So they tend to get off of the hook, even if people are shaking their heads about how ignorant these people are.
Of course, we also must wonder if people are just faking a lot of their ignorance. Which actually makes them a bit smarter, because people will underestimate them and thus they will be able to coast by with a lot more things, because people are rather going to retain the impression that they are ignorant. I think that you may find that people who seem ignorant, have a lot more things upstairs and playing a bigger game than those people who are not ignorant would think.
@agmamayo (804)
• Philippines
28 Mar 12
That is right, people who seems ignorant or who doesn't know much have other things in mind that is more beneficial to them than knowing more. They are experts in the psychology of things around them. They may be underestimated or belittled due to their ignorance but deep inside they are even more capable of doing things than those who perceive them differently. Although, some may just be faking as you have mentioned, in order to avoid some things around them that can hurt or show their weaknesses in public, that may be true also. So at times ignorance can be a powerful tool to use in life's rat race and can be helpful to people whom are perceived as underdogs.
@lordcaocao2025 (4098)
• Indonesia
22 Mar 12
Depend on the situation, ignorance can be a bliss too. Like we usually see in movie, sometime government hide fact about thing that happened that can cause panic. Since there is no solution, and knowing thing that happened will only causes riot, that will make ignorance a positive thing. Since knowing it only bring uncomfortable to us.
@frontvisions101 (16043)
• Philippines
22 Mar 12
Well, if you look at the horrible things happening today, then think of your kids, the word ignorance would seem positive. The word is actually neutral. It depends on the context it's on.
@agmamayo (804)
• Philippines
23 Mar 12
Yeah, that is true, though most of us when we hear the word we tend to look at it the negative way, although it can be at times in a positive way. Exactly, how you said that it depends on how it is used. Like the children all over the world, they don't mind what is happening around them, even though their country is on a state of war they still have time to smile, and play with other children, so they ignore those things and it has a positive effect on them.
@shwetat195 (628)
• India
22 Mar 12
yeah u r right...at time the word ignorance is considered to be negative in character...i wud say it also depends on the way it is said...like instead of "how can u be so ignorant"...trying saying..."if u r not aware, then...." things can be said differently...
@agmamayo (804)
• Philippines
23 Mar 12
That's right, it can be a good confidence booster, but in the long run it can drag them to a losing point. Take for example a person who is usually bullied to be a moron or idiot, when he is advised to ignore such verbal assaults and focus on how he can prove the bullies otherwise is a good confidence booster for him to strive harder and not back down from bullying.
@honest_efforts100 (1607)
• India
29 Jun 12
It can be consider these words sometimes as positive for people who are plain positive thinkers. But sometimes these words can hurt to so better use them when you are joking or acting to be funny. They won’t notice these words as negative and they might realize what they have been missing or forgetting or what had made them look stupid.
@natnickeep (2336)
• United States
22 Mar 12
Ignorance can be used in a sort of positive way. When you say oh he's just ignorant. It's saying they are being mean or rude because they are uneducated not mean or rude. It's like giving them a reason, or an excuse for being a certain way. And then there is the so popular ignorance is bliss. This saying really is true is some ways. The more you know the more horrible the world looks.
@lakerfanster (2577)
•
22 Mar 12
I believe that ignorance can be good in some circumstances, for instance if you were worried about something and you just went into it as you were ignorant to the potential problems and it might work out for you.
@starsailover (7829)
• Mexico
22 Mar 12
Hi agmamayo: It's an interesting question. I think that ignorance is not good. Sometimes truth can be hard but it's better to face it than living in a lie. Probably the only reason when ignorance could be "good" is when a person is too young or unprepared to face the truth and in that case I won't advice to tell a lie, just to wait for the right moment to tell this person the truth.
ALVARO
@vanessajohnsson (2)
•
22 Mar 12
I don't think ignorance can really have positive traits unless it's about a certain thing that you actually don't want to seek and understand. It's hard knowing everything, but not knowing some things isn't bad. It's only bad when your ignorance affects others or our planet in negative ways. :)
