Blissful Ignorance or Empowering Knowledge?

This morning while visiting my familiar blogstops, I was struck by a poignant post written by my Finnan friend. Simple, straightforward........ yet it stopped me in my tracks, and brought me to a place of awareness that I had been trying to avoid.

Over the past few years, we have all witnessed through the media horrendously violent attacks by Islamic terrorists. Pictures, descriptions, detailed analysis, journals, diaries, inquiries, editorials, videos........all have inundated our personal peace. For the most part we have viewed them one country at a time...........one horrifying and brutal bombing at a time.......... encapsulated as single devastating events. Because we naturally (and I believe mostly to protect our hearts and to protect ourselves from being overwhelmed by fear and sorrow) view these killing events individually and don't connect them to previous bombings, the scope and magnitude is softened somewhat. We read about it, absord the atrocities, discuss it, grieve it and and unbelievably move on to some extent.

Today, I read his list.......................of Islamic terrorist atrocities that have occured separately but in reality connected. The list magnifies the evil. It magnifies the fact that we are living in a world that is unpredictable and horrifying. We are forced to be aware of the realities of dangerous terroristic actions, when really it would feel so much better if we could remain ignorant of it all. Wouldn't it?

Innocent of knowledge. Ignorant of the big bad world our there. Is it better to remain ignorant of the realities that we face? Is ignorance bliss or is that an oxymoron?

I have always been someone who loves to learn..........who craves knowledge. Curiosity is my middle name. Nosey Parker is my nickname. I voraciously read information, most of which is only helpful playing trivial pursuit, but there isn't a cereal box that I havent the back of. I'm a media addict.............radio, TV, internet, magazines, newspapers...........all there for me to access. Interactions, discussions, lectures, interviews.............all feed my insatiable desire to learn. But, the biggest light bulb moment I had with respect to learning and acquired knowledge happened while backpacking through Europe many moons ago.

I realized that my level of knowledge is a mere teaspoon of water from the Atlantic. Compared to the ocean of information out there, I know diddlysquat. And the more I try to learn, the more I realize that I have more to learn. I believe we have all had this particular lightbulb moment. It's a bit daunting, to be sure.

Benjamin Disraeli wrote: To be concious that you're ignorant is a great step to knowledge. It is this conciousness that allows us the opportunity to choose a path to knowledge and understanding.

Remaining ignorant will never resolve a problem. And a problem as enormous as the unrelenting Islamic terror attacks will never be solved if we remain ignorant to it. Who knows if we will ever find the solution to dealing with this monumental threat. But, the only way we can try to fight back is with learning new means to deal with it and learning the most we can about the motives behind the attacks, and the people who give up their lives for the sake of their religious beliefs. We need to understand where their hate festers. We also need to learn from history. Learning is a continuum of past, present and future.

Knowledge is empowering. It is enlightening, and hope inspiring. It is also anxiety producing too. However,ignorance will never bring peace. Knowledge and new learning is the only logical option. And as we absorb the atrocities of yet another massacre triggered by Bin Laden and friends, this time in Mumbai, we best choose the path of knowledge..........aware, alert and awake.


"The evil that is in the world almost always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding." Albert Camus