I would rather know a little, honestly. Because what pisses me off about information today is that I don’t really know who’s value I am to take and even be skeptical towards. So I’d rather know little.
I’d rather know nothing. Ignorance is bliss. A lot of people here will disagree and that’s okay.
Learning more has only ever brought me anxiety. I’m not enlightened by knowing how lots of things work. It stresses me out. The big picture it paints isn’t a happy one or one that makes me feel safe or comfortable.
I was happiest when I was a toddler/ young child. I was a miserable teenager and horrific adult. I want to be dumb very dumb.
If we don’t learn, then WTF are we doing with ourselves. The human existence is the pursuit of knowledge. The only depressing thing here, IMO, is the idea that living out a life as grazing cattle, concerned with nothing more than gorging oneself with the next meal is the only reason to live.
Comfortable? Sure. Self-actualized? Not a chance. There’s more to life than living out only the most basic biological needs.
To you, learning is obviously a major drive in your life. To others, it’s the exact opposite.
And its not like you can only learn by watching the news 🙈
I learn plenty of things all day long. Just not from the news.
I have stopped watching the news a few years ago. Occasionally i’ll check it if something major happens, otherwise i’ll hear the important things through others.
I must admit i am much happier since. So i rather know little :)
I’d like to have a deep understanding of a few things, a pretty good understanding of more things, a passing knowledge of a lot of things, and think it’s impossible to know a whole lot about a whole lot of things.
I think it’s fine to say you have not the means to evaluate the sources of “information” available to you, if it’s not something immediately necessary to you. As I said to someone else, your time and attention are not unlimited resources. Better to use them on things that matter to you.
I wish I was a gas cloud with a dim awareness beyond mortal comprehension or a little bug that lives on a cactus flower. Something allowed to be ignorant and still fulfil its role in the universe. Unfortunately that wish is evil because we have to climb the chain of being forever.
If it makes you feel any better, on a universal scale we’re as insignificant as bugs and I’m sure quite nearly as ignorant.
In the late 1800’s someone said that we nearly know all that there is to know, look at what’s happened since and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if knowledge continued to increase a such a rate.
I completely diagree, the conscious part of the universe is the most important. We also have a terrible responsibility to guard it. We can’t give ourselves up to personal satisfaction or serenity while most of humanity suffers. It’s gleaming light completely overshadowed by pain.
You make a very good point.
However, some people would say despite the great suffering that some of us go through that ultimately, nothing matters. No matter the triumphs of humanity, a meteor could wipe it all out tomorrow and there would be but a trace that we ever even existed.
Your point also implies that we have freewill, whereas others would suggest that we only have what appears to be freewill. Whether you help those in need or you don’t, your path is set.
