Ignorance As An Aid

[Electron]

When someone pushes you off a cliff without your knowledge then without taking any time or complaining about it you just enter the game and fall down. But if you were given a choice whether to jump or stay you probably would take a lot of time fighting your inner fears. This part, right here, where you are to confront and overcome the emotional clutter arising due to the anticipation of the fall is skipped completely when someone else pushes you without your being aware of it. 

Now if you dig deeper, you'll see that this gap (time before you jump), which you subconsciously fill with all sorts of judgment about the anticipated event, isn't really relevant. That is, to jump off the cliff you don't really need to judge and anticipate the event, jump can take place without being completely ignorant of that part. 

Starting something just becomes harder if a lot of anticipation and judgment is processed before you start. So skip that part. And just become completely ignorant of it. That's also what desperate people do. They just completely skip the whining part and get right at the action. There is nothing in the way if you look close. There is no start. There is just action.

[Salaam]

Yup, there are specific contexts, where ignorance is helpful. Targeted, chosen ignorance, where the choice for such mystery comes from confidence and courage (that's hopefully grounded in reality), rather than depending upon being "safe" in order to act.

Uncertainty, mystery, can be the spice of life. Like, going on vacation with only a loose set of plans and an eye for adventure. Or talking to women, with no pre-set tactics, just authenticity and trust that expressing who you are can be inherently attractive.

A lot of times, our motivations for certainty and knowledge are rooted in fear and feelings of incapability. It behooves us to understand that sometimes we grow more, not by having answers in that way, but by facing the root causes of that fear and incapability. Which also often means, facing periods of uncertainty and imbalance.

Pushing or stepping off of that cliff into the  unknown and making our own wings on the fly. Succeeding in such a choice is a precious experience to have, because it engenders trusting in yourself as much as trusting in your "intel" at the time.

Plus, we make ourselves dull, arrogant, and un-creative if we allow ourselves to operate under the assumption that we know everything already. Staying connected and sensitive to our ignorance, protects our openness to new potential, and it keeps us humble and observant (we don't just immediately discard anything that doesn't fit with our world view. Instead we question it and ourselves).

 

Edited July 5, 2016 by Salaam

[Extreme Z7]

@Electron Reminds me when I had my first existential panic. Instead of trying to find validation to my current worldview, I instead acknowledged my ignorance and searched "What is Happiness?" on YouTube. Leo's content followed and months later, here I am!

@Salaam I do like what you said about feeling like you already know everything and how that attitude makes you stuck in life. I've encountered that kind of thinking in other people before especially among older folk. I've seen it in myself too. I think practicality and putting your feet to the fire of reality is one of the best ways to rid of the illusion. Quieting the ego helps as well so meditation and mindfulness can be helpful too.

Edited July 5, 2016 by Extreme Z7
typo

[Salaam]

@Extreme Z7

Yup, I have a thing I call the capability circuit which helps me keep track of all the things required for learning (that I'm aware of) and two of it's elements are Awareness/Sensitivity/Experience and Ignorance/Mystery/Potential.

At first glance those two elements might seems diametrically opposed (if you look at them in isolation), but in reality they counter-balance and synergize with each other.

 

[Gabriel David Gomez]

There is ignorance and then there is indifference. If it is sudden courage you desire, simply do not wait until you desire to do something before you do it. Most people put things off simply because they don't feel enough emotion toward something. The truth is, emotions are a horrible compass and they often exaggerate about things. Emotion is like a melody which can be interpreted in many seemingly accurate ways whereas thought is like lyrucs which come clear out with their message. People need to stop acting like women who can't find the right man because nothing keeps them emotionally high. Just like a motivational speech by some crook who gets people hyped on emotion by useless strong words and when the speech is over and the emotion subsides they can't figure out why they are still losers. Ignorance may help you find some way to ignore danger. But if you are indifferent, you can still act yet ignore even your own pain and emotional urges. Even if you are not indifferent and you simply feel no extreme level of emotion relevantly in particular, simply do what is necessary. An old chinese philosopher once said that the search for happiness is unhappiness. To stop searching for happiness is happiness. But the key is to be content; and to be content with what you are how you are what you are, that is without cost. It is free. So the best ignorance is to be indifferent and still accomplish what is right. In fact, you can skip the massive self evaluation when you feel the negative emotions by reminding yourself that you will never have a reason to be angry or sad because those emotions are not strategical and they do not help you cause change in something desired. That is a waste of desire which you should closely observe yourself during. The cause of most suffering is actually desire.