# The Joy of Not Knowing - Proposition By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2025-10-27 There are certain joys that come from not knowing. As the saying goes, ignorance is bliss. Parents often attempt to shield children from unpleasant truths. They say it is simply better that the children don’t know. And for a time, such a strategy might work. The children can be spared from trauma, at least for a time. In adulthood, there are joys of not knowing as well. Worry is a frequent companion of knowledge. If one knows something as to what is occurring, there is reasonably a sense of obligation to contribute to its resolution. These forms of ignorant joy are well established in our society. There is another kind of joy of not knowing that is seldom discussed. This is the joy of learning. The less one knows, the more there is to learn. Whereas our educational establishments have done much to strip learning of its inherent joy, a few find that learning is among the most gratifying human endeavors. Much of life changes when one abandons proving to others how smart one is, and instead focuses on the joy of learning. The paths taken will be varied and eclectic. It can span everything from optimization algorithms and AI-chatbot development to woodworking and philosophy. In a society that has attempted to commodify everything, including education, focusing on the joy of learning and pursuing it as an end in itself can be a significant form of rebellion.   #### Related Items [[Joy]] [[Learning]] [[Ignorance]] [[Education]] [[Rebel]]