In the real word, ignorance is not bliss. Overlooking important information can lead to devastation, loss and pain. Facing the truth can be hard to deal with but once you get through the initial stages of discomfort, you can move towards fulfillment. (Estimated reading time: 3-4 minutes)
“I say there is no darkness but ignorance.”
— William Shakespeare
I had a revelation during a recent visit to the Titanic artifact exhibit.
Walking through the large exhibit gave a fascinating yet eerie glimpse into the lives of the passengers who were on board the massive luxury liner.
The walkways were sprawled with haunting artifacts and full-scale re-creations of some areas of the ship.
Although it was a riveting experience, I couldn’t help but feel sorry about the tragic end of the lives of the thousands of unknowing passengers who placed their trust in this sturdy and magnificent ship that was considered to be “practically unsinkable” by those who built it at the turn of the 19th century.
What makes it more unfortunate is that this disaster could have been easily avoided if the navigational crew had taken precautionary measures in the event of encountering icebergs en route. More lives could have been saved if the builders admitted that the Titanic did not have enough life boats to accommodate every single passenger on the ship during an emergency.
We could draw a parallel between the fate of the Titanic and the fate of the personal realities of many individuals. As we navigate through the waters of life, many of us choose to not see the potential “icebergs” that we can hit and which cause our ship to “sink”. We lack the insight to prepare our “life boats”, to rescue us in case we do hit one.
Despite all the signs and warnings, many still choose to go through life pretending that everything is smooth sailing until they hit an iceberg—confirming their suspicion of a partner who was not being faithful, getting fired from a job that their heart wasn’t in, or receiving a disturbing diagnosis from the doctor because they refused to change their lifestyle.
No matter how much we try to deceive ourselves, the truth of our lives will always catch up on us. There is a prevailing order that ensures that we are always fully conscious of the consequences of our choices. For this reason, ignorance is not bliss.
Most people are unaware that they are gifted with an inner GPS that can guide them out of troubled waters. Others choose to deliberately ignore it by consciously blocking it or by numbing it with drugs, alcohol and other forms of addiction.
They don’t realize that the sense of security that’s derived from being ignorant about a problematic situation is a fleeting illusion. Choosing to stay blind to the truth isn’t going to make the issue disappear but only intensify it to a point where we cannot disregard it any longer.
Until we acknowledge the problems within a situation, we’re incapable of creating meaningful change in our lives. Progress can only when we’re willing to lay all the cards on the table and take a good hard look at them.
Reality checks can often be harsh and painful to deal with but once we get through the initial stages of discomfort, we can move towards fulfillment. We’ll see that ignorance is not bliss.
If you’re someone who suspects that you are under the deceptive spell of ignorance, here are ten key questions you should ask yourself to work through it:
- In which specific area/situation in your life do you believe that you are choosing to not face the truth?
- What is it that you’re choosing to ignore in this situation?
- What is it that is blocking you from facing the reality of your situation?
- What are you afraid will happen if you do face the truth?
- What are you afraid will happen if you don’t face the truth?
- What can you do or what has to happen to shift your perspective on the situation?
- Which steps are you willing to take to gradually begin moving away from this unsatisfying situation or improving it?
- What kind of support will you need to make this change? Emotional? Financial? Strategic?
- By when would you like to make this shift in your life?
- How do you think you’ll feel when you finally reach your ideal place? How different will your life be?
Remember that you have an abundance of courage within you to help you face some of the biggest threats. Your inner warrior that is ever-ready to step out and face any obstacle on your path towards happiness. You have the wisdom to acknowledge the ignorance is not bliss.
All my best on your journey,
Seline
Question for you: How does your intuition let you know that you are being ignorant about a situation in your life?
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BTW it depends some times its important to ignore but also got some good tips. Thanks
I’m glad you found some useful tips Elle!