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Ignorance is bliss?

How happy is the blameless vestal’s lot!

The world forgetting, by the world forgot.

Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!

Each prayer accepted, and each wish resigned

I was reminded of these famous lines by Alexander Pope as I saw a group of nuns growing impatient in the afternoon heat as their bus was getting repaired, whilst going for one of the dreaded CAT mocks.

This blameless vestal’s lot did not look as happy as Alexander had mentioned, neither they looked like world forgetting or world forgot with their smartphones in attendance.

Looking deeper into the above mentioned lines, is ignorance really a bliss as doctored by Alexander Pope? Is not knowing things, either good or bad really makes us find happiness, a happiness which we are content and cocooned in ? With the growing means to get “social” and “breaking news”available at our doorstep can we really enjoy the charms of solace? Is it still possible to be happy by ourself without approaching the world and more importantly, the world wide web? Sounds tough. Right?

Being recluse in a world where sociability is on the rise and being aware of things around you pivotal can be judged as naive to say the least.We have to be in the know, for study’s sake, for job’s sake, for our sake.I think this drive to know (best described by a certain news channel host who keeps on asking, on nation’s behalf, a plethora of questions that “India wants to know”)has it’s pros and cons. We are growing inquisitive for everything, which in itself is not wrong, perhaps is superb on everyone’s part , but to control this urge,a sort of O.C.D. in itself is the tough part, not knowing where to draw a line because we want to know everything and about everyone. This part stalker part voyeuristic tendency is what sometimes makes me think it’s better to be ignorant.

But is ignorance really helpful? Isn’t this a sort of pacification that we do? Shutting doors on various facets of life. Wasn’t it the ignorant King Sidhharth who, after getting to know about suffering and death sought enlightenment and preached the same to world? Can we really explain ignorance in black and white? It seems like a never ending reflection, a reflection we all may have sought some time or the other without resoundingly finding an answer.

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