Discussions

Can someone be ignorant and genuinly happy?

Posted by amrhima • 6/01/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: happiness, knowledge, life, philosophy

I believe that the depths of the soul can be reached with a sharp mind, and one has to learn a lot in order to be truely spiritual. But can someone who knows nothing about himself, nothing about philosophy or spirituality be really and genuinly happy?

User Comments

6/01/09

MissSuzie

If they were truly ignorant, would they even know what happiness is?

[reply]
1. 6/01/09
  
  elitethinker
  
  Happiness is feeling not knowledge. In fact many people find refuge in Ignorance because they fear facing their own consciousness if they learnt some horrible truth. They only open their eyes when they are directly affected, that is when it is too late.
6/01/09

noetic

happiness to me is based on creative output.

so in short, no.

[reply]
1. 6/01/09
  
  harveyavatar
  
  Art or creativy does not finalize a person.
6/01/09

SweetViolet

Of course...don't you know that ignorance is bliss?

[reply]
1. 6/01/09
  
  amrhima
  
  In some cases, but don't you think that happiness is to love life as it is, without illusions or lies?
2. 6/01/09
  
  SweetViolet
  
  No.
  
  It would be nice if that were the case, but too often people prefer illusions and lies to a harsh reality.
  
  Who is happier...the woman who knows her husband is cheating or the woman whose cheating husband has been able to keep her blissfully ignorant?
  
  In truth, I think the more intelligent and aware you are, the more difficult it is to find real happiness. You just realize so much more is wrong, notice clues others might overlook, and recognize a greater breadth of possibilities to fret about.
3. 6/01/09
  
  amrhima
  
  Spirituality with no lies, love of life with no illusions, is all what the philosophy of Nietzsche is about, and that is what My blog is about as well :D...I think it may not be easy but it is the spiritual goal that can only be attained through gained wisdom
6/01/09

jafabrit

there are some very ignorant happy people and some very ignorant sad people, same with non ignorant. It depends on who, what, where and the circumstances of their life and personalities.

"But can someone who knows nothing about himself, nothing about philosophy or spirituality be really and genuinly happy?"

in answer to your question, yes there are some, not sure why you think that isn't possible. there are all types that make this world.

[reply]
1. 6/01/09
  
  amrhima
  
  It's because of my criteria for happiness, I believe that the dispute between us is due to the fact that my definition of happiness involves much more awareness of yourself. Of course some ignorant people might appear happy on the surface even to themselves, but i mean on a much deeper level.
2. 6/01/09
  
  jafabrit
  
  I can't make judgments about others based on my criteria for happiness because it is subjective and filled with variables. What makes me happy may not make others happy and vice versa so can one be in a position to determine what is real happiness and what isn't for others?
6/01/09

intarso

apparently. the morons at the clubs seem pretty happy.

sometimes I like, totally, like envy them.

[reply]
1. 6/01/09
  
  amrhima
  
  They are happy in a sense, but the question is about your criteria for happiness really...how deep is it, does it involve awareness of the world around you and the world inside you or is it simply just spending some good time and having fun, or some where in between?
6/01/09

nothingprofound

Depends what you meant by ignorant. If you mean lack of knowledge, in an academic or intellectual sense, such a person could easily be happy. If you mean someone who is rude, temperamental, gets irritated and overwrought by every petty detail of life, such a person would have a hard time being happy. I think cheerfulness, an easygoing nature, and not thinking too much are the essential ingredients for happiness.

[reply]
1. 6/01/09
  
  amrhima
  
  Well, ignorant in the sense that they have no thirst for knowledge about the world inside them, they don't search for happiness or deepen their view of life, and i don't mean necessarily academically.
2. 8/16/09
  
  timethief
  
  If you mean lack of knowledge, in an academic or intellectual sense, such a person could easily be happy.
  I agree.
  
  If you mean someone who is rude, temperamental, gets irritated and overwrought by every petty detail of life ...
  That's a description of PMS at it's worst.
6/01/09

IntoTheAzureSea

Creative genius is a product of complete misery.

[reply]
1. 6/01/09
  
  nothingprofound
  
  @Azure: That's a popular conception, but I don't think it's necessarily true. Artists are like everybody else. Some are miserable, and some are happy. I think that has more to do with temperament than the fact that they're creative. Look at Walt Whitman, or Marcel Duchamp, or Henry Miller. None of them strikes me as being in the misery category.
2. 6/02/09
  
  IntoTheAzureSea
  
  That's true too. Though sometimes one needs to be pushed out of his comfort zone to seek alternatives for solutions.
6/01/09

theresak

I read a really awesome book called "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle. It's basically about living in the moment and not worrying about future or past events. This is the true secret of happiness. I've actually put his book to the test over one year and honestly his teachings really do work wonders.

[reply]
1. 6/02/09
  
  jafabrit
  
  For you, and that is great ( my best friend is with Eck), but it wouldn't make me happy. Worry is a part of human nature that can be a great motivator/harnessed to process things and learn from the past and how to come to terms with it.
  
  Which comes back to the idea that happiness is subjective and depends on one's needs, circumstances, life experiences, economics, geography, culture etc etc.
2. 6/21/09
  
  theresak
  
  You can actually retrain your mind to live in the present moment. It takes time and patience but it can be done. Then you're not living with all that past conditioning which is a huge burden to be carrying with you the rest of your life.
6/01/09

dcarroll

Isn't that the definition? "Ignorance is bliss."
Especially when a person can't spell genuinely.

[reply]
6/02/09

jyotishman

I Sometimes Find A Beggar On The Road To Be The Most Content & Happy Being Than I Could Ever Be...!

Do I Have To Explain How...?

And, 'Genuinity Of Happiness' Will Always Be Questionable!...

[reply]
6/02/09

rfburnhertz

Who is defining ignorant?
Who is defining happiness?

Are there specifics a person must be learned in or aware of in order to know happiness?

I don't see why the person you described could not be happy.

[reply]
6/02/09

evilsquirrel01

yes, look at Homer. Ignorance is bliss?

[reply]
6/02/09

wehireu

I think smart people tend to be more depressed, analytical, and unhappy. Ignorance has very little to do with happiness. Education is not a measure of happiness.

[reply]
6/02/09

dsriharsha

doesn't the O'Reilly guy fit this description? though he is more grumpy than happy.. but still

[reply]
6/02/09

ThriftShopRomantic

My grandmother used to use the phrase, "He's so dumb, he's happy."

[reply]
6/02/09

footiam

sounds possible. Live and let live!

[reply]
6/02/09

shankha72113

For most of the common people "ignorance is bliss".

[reply]
7/04/09

NYCGirl

I think it's probably easier to be happy that way.

[reply]
7/04/09

liaochiling

I believe happiness is something we achieved 'naturally'

[reply]
8/15/09

amrhima

People seem to agree knowledge does not make any difference in someone's happiness, some even say it has a negative effect, then why is it any good to know? Is it?

[reply]
8/15/09

nothingprofound

Karl Kraus: "Never learn anything more than you absolutely need to get through life." Maybe that's a bit extreme, but it's close to what I feel.

[reply]
1. 8/15/09
  
  amrhima
  
  May be Truth in Nietzcshe's sense is what we need? Whatever enhances our life is true?
8/16/09

Maladjusted

N.P.: I'm very much in agreement with your comments on this thread, although I am tempted to say that Karl "most erudite man in Vienna" Kraus definitely thought that the minimum of knowledge he needed to get through life was, well, rather more than most of us.

Amrhima: you touch on the greatest tension in Nietzsche's work, namley, the contrast between the Nietzsche who insists on looking into the abyss, dispelling illusions et cetera and the Nietzsche who says of truth: "why not rather a beautiful lie?" It's the tension between Nietzsche the Protestant pastor's son (i.e. Nietzsche troubled by the sun going down in the West into a night called nihilism) and the Nietzsche who looks to the South, to his beloved Sils Maria, to life loving gypsies who love, and sing and die praising and cursing their gods (or God): people who he think know nothing of the harsh truths that he sometimes makes it his mission to take from door to door, but who, PRECISLEY BECAUSE OF THIS, DO know the "truth" in the sense of what you've just mentioned, i.e., they know what is necessary for the affirmation and enchancement of life, for the mad dance of joy, and the madness of sorrow: for tragedy and for music.

Best,

-Mal

[reply]
1. 8/16/09
  
  amrhima
  
  Perhaps there's a connection to be made between the two Nietzsches, may be he thinks these illusions are illusions in the sense that they are not helping making us masters. The way i see it is that to make way for his own definition of truth he had to say that the absolute truth and values of good and evil are illusions and not facts that can't be avoided.
8/16/09

archiegottlieb

yes. how many times have you seen a complete idiot on tv say how incredibly happy he is? problems that lead to unhappiness result from greater exposure to the world. my pessimistic coin in the bank of stupidity.

[reply]