According to Merriam Webster, ignorant is an adjective defined as "1. lacking knowledge or information and 2. resulting from or showing a lack of knowledge."
Should you take a look at Urban Dictionary, there is another definition as follows: "A term used by certain minorities to describe anyone who is pissing them off. Ironically, ask them what it means, and they won't have a clue. All you'll get as an answer is a clenched fist to the head (for being ignorant of course)."
If you search for the definition of the phrase, ignorance is bliss, you will find that it means "if you do not know something, you do not worry about it."
Out of curiosity, I also checked the phrase on Urban Dictionary. The definitions are similar, but much more flatly accurate: "1. It is a term used to falsely justify apathy on the given subject in the form of a catchy cliche. A prevalent saying of the people in North America when confronted by the truth. 2. The lack of knowledge in reference to a situation, particularly a messy one. Once the whole truth is revealed one realizes they were much happier being clueless. 3. A phrase often uttered by the female persuasion of the mind. Similar to cliches such as “Everything happens for a reason” and “Red rover, red rover. Send Jimmy on over.”. It is often elaborated on in order to describe a distasteful situation in an enlightening manner. As though such a thing were possible."
I can admit, there are things out there that I didn't need to know. I didn't need to know how The Human Centipede worked, but curiosity got the better of me. I didn't need to know that you could eat tarantulas. Thank you Andrew Zimmern, I love your Bizarre Foods series. I certainly didn't need to know the mating rituals of humpback whales, but Fluke by Christopher Moore is one of my favorite books.
I am relieved to have grown up in a generation that had GI Joe, Schoolhouse Rock, the One To Grow On and The More You Know PSA campaigns and Afterschool Specials. Not only were they fun to watch, but they were educational and promoted knowledge. I'm very proud of everything I've learned about life and myself.
Sure, we still have "The More You Know" on NBC, but in a world with DVR we can skip over commercials and most people miss it. Kids today know the slogans - "Knowledge is Power", "Knowing is Half the Battle" - but that's all they are. They are just slogans, just cliches with no real strength behind them.
And how many times have you seen the parodies on SNL, The Simpsons or Family Guy? I can guarantee you that most of the younger generations don't even know where the parodies are coming from.
I was privileged enough to grow up surrounded by teachers - my mother and several of my friends' parents were teachers. My father studied to be a minister, so he was a teacher in many ways also. I grew up in a good family with parents who taught me how to live and learn. I may have been rebellious, but I never forgot the lessons that life taught.
I was also lucky enough to go to good schools with teachers that cared about education. My parents took me out of public school and put me into a private high school at the beginning of my Freshman year. I hated the decision when it was made, but began to enjoy it once I warmed to the new people and environment. I had teachers at both schools that were memorable.
Seventh and eighth grade were pivotal in my life. I gained a love on top of my appreciation for music from my choral and band directors. My science teacher cultivated my love of the subject. I'll never forget my English teach who taught me to say "hor-rors", not "whores" (as in Little Shop of Horrors).
My high school teachers were no different. I began to understand the value of a good teacher and education through them. My Latin teacher gave me an appreciation for my own language. My English teachers helped me discover my creativity. Ironically, my religion teachers taught me to choose my own values and beliefs. Finally, a reading instructor, who wasn't a part of my regular schedule, taught me that a teacher could also be a valuable friend. My teachers can all be proud that they've given me such valuable lessons, no matter how large or small.
We live in a time when ignorance is encouraged. If it were for the purpose of plausible deniability, I might understand. But it seems to be on purpose for some other reason.
Maybe it's because ignorance is all some people know. Maybe it's how and where they are raised. Many parents don't have the time to spend with their children, forcing them to be raised by the streets and schools. Many teachers don't have time to actually teach, because they are too busy fighting the ebb of the digital age. Many students aren't learning because they haven't figured out the value of a good education. Many administrators are too busy putting out the abundance of small fires to see that their systems are faulty.
There are good people out there, though. There are people winning against the battle of ignorance. Those are the people that can break through and show their students that education is worth caring about. Yet, in the larger picture, ignorance seems to be winning.
How is it that humanity seems to forget everything they are taught when they are young? What is the value of leaving common courtesy and sense, our most valued intelligence, at home for the day? When did it become OK to pull off the bare minimum to earn a paycheck? Why is it so important to only care about oneself?
Too many people are out there looking out for just themselves. We see it on the streets, in our stores and restaurants - anywhere people come together. People are in such a hurry to get where they need to be that they don't worry - or apologize - about running you off the road or bumping you out of the way to get on the train or bus. More are doing as much as they can to save a buck that they resort to deceit and lying. And still others are so worried about not being correct, they can't figure out when they are wrong.
There's more to ignorance than a lack of knowledge. Ignorance is a lack of understanding. Ignorance breeds contempt. Ignorance sows intolerance. Ignorance starts wars.
Ignorance is the base for everything wrong in our world. It is sown because too many people don't want to take the time to learn and understand what is going on with others - other friends, other cultures, other nations, other beliefs. Without this knowledge, we've got no real chance of moving forward.
The only way we can win is by embracing the knowledge so many of us put on the back burner. Knowledge is power and knowing is half the battle.
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