The Life Puzzles Series: Piece 5

Many of us have heard the idiom: ignorance is bliss. However, many of us have also experienced the misery of being ignorant. Yet still, it is tempting to hang on to the idea that what we don’t know cannot hurt us. But is this true? An undetected cancerous tumor turns deadly. A leaky pipe in an uninhabited room in a basement damages the foundation and home. A marriage filled with secrets dissolves – seemingly suddenly.
Therefore, why would anyone believe that being ignorant – unaware and uninformed is blissful?

To better understand, let us delve into the abyss of unknowingness called ignorance and discover what opportunities it grants its inhabitants. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ignorance as the state or fact of being ignorant, i.e., lack of knowledge, education, or awareness. Also, synonyms of ignorance include words like obliviousness and cluelessness. These are terms many would not take kindly to being described as. However, many of us find comfort in being ignorant, and commonly used phrases like what you do not know cannot hurt you amplify this belief. Undoubtedly, ignorance offers a temporary salve. – A distraction from reality and an opportunity to believe all is well regardless of the truth. But while this might feel soothing for some time, there is a dark reality to ignorance.

Ignorance is darkness

Being ignorant is like resting in a dark forest and living in imagination. – Like a camper who decided to recline by a tree at nightfall. And to forget the misery of being alone, with eyes shut, imagined being in a 16th-century castle in Spain, feasting on delicacies and fine wines with the who’s who of society. But when they opened their eyes, the moonlight revealed a pack of wolves feasting their eyes on them. Then, they realized they had unknowingly crouched next to a den. – So it goes when we are ignorant! Unawareness leads us to make unbeneficial and sometimes destructive decisions, believing all is well.
To make this more palpable, let us bring it closer to home.

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night and stubbed your toe on the way to the bathroom? I bet many of us can recall such an unpleasant experience. But the dangers of living in the dark are far greater than minor bruises on our toes. – The dangers of darkness include missed opportunities, broken relationships, and declining health. Like many of us, I am familiar with the misfortune that being in the dark wreaks. To better illustrate this, I will share a story.

The darker side of darkness

In my late 20s, I moved to the East Coast in the United States and scheduled an annual exam with a new general practitioner. At the appointment, she asked me to walk from one end of her office to the other. Confidently, I strutted across the room. When I reached the wall, I turned around and smiled at her, expecting a treat for my stellar walking ability. But I did not receive a lollipop. Instead, she tilted her head to the left and said if a cop stopped you on the road and watched you walk as you did, they might assume you were intoxicated.
Immediately, she had my full attention! Puzzled, I asked her why she said that. She explained that I did not walk in a straight line and veered slightly to the right. Then, she asked me if I was getting enough rest. I responded that I was not, and she encouraged me to get more rest. And that was that!

Several years later, I moved to the West Coast. One Saturday evening, I called my mom on the phone. Nonchalantly in conversation, I informed her that I felt numb on my right side and was stumbling when walking. Fearing I may be having a stroke, she did not share her fears but asked me to go to the nearest emergency room – immediately! When I did, the doctors performed a spinal tap, MRI, and several other procedures. Sometime later, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). While learning about the condition, my neurologist told me that one of the signs of MS is a challenge in walking, referred to as MS gait. And in this respect, my symptoms were similar to what I had shown years earlier at my general practitioner.

The light opportunity

Instantly, I recalled my visit with her years earlier and wondered: Could it be that MS was present in my system several years before diagnosis, and as the condition developed, I was ignorantly going about my merry way rather than seeking treatment? I also asked myself whether being ignorant, aka in the dark, was blissful. Emphatically, I responded, No, being in the dark is costly, and ignorance is not bliss. Admittedly, with this realization, I wallowed in regret initially. But in time, adopting an optimistic mindset and leaning on loved ones who reminded me that behind every cloud is a blue sky enabled me to look forward and thrive. Importantly, I learned the value of seeking the truth.

Friend: What we do not know can and often does hurt us, as we rarely solve problems or meet needs when we do not know they exist. Rather than cozying up in the dark and turning a blind eye to wolves and a deaf ear to problems, it is better to seek truth: follow the light and gain clarity.
For more on clarity, you may check out A Froth of Bubbles and Clarity-BLOG- www.akesatia.com.

Until next time!

For you and to you,
Aké

Image credit: Pexels | Mstudio