I have heard the saying, “Ignorance is bliss.” repeated a few times in my life. That statement is incorrect. Ignorance is ignorance. It is dangerous, and diminishes the quality of life.
Far too many Christians today are ignorant of God’s Word. They can repeat slogans said by famous pastors, they are aware of a few of the great “culture war” issues, but they do not really know how to take Scripture and apply it to their daily lives.
Far too many Americans are ignorant of our history and the bedrock of freedom in our nation. They are easily swayed by whichever narrative is predominant today, but will change their mind depending on what their news source tells them tomorrow.
One problem with ignorance is illustrated by the Dunning-Kruger Effect. Charles Darwin correctly pointed out in his book, The Descent of Man, “Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge.” The Dunning-Kruger Effect relates the truth that, often, the most ignorant among us believe that they are the wisest in the room. They will debate people who have spent a lifetime studying a subject after spending a few minutes on Google themselves.
These people are convinced that others have no idea about the subject if they disagree. Sadly, the best efforts of others to educate these people usually fail.
Ignorance should never be glorified. I’m not proud that there are things I do not know. We should all be willing to admit that we do not know things, but it is not a point of which we should be proud. Ignorance is not a crown to be worn!
There is a way to combat our own ignorance, though. Humbly listen to others who disagree with you. Be willing to learn from them. Read more books. To the Christians in my audience, read your Bible (as a Christian myself, I hope everyone can find peace and hope in the Bible). Challenge the things you think, not with weak, straw-man arguments, but with difficult questions.
Go out there today and learn something!
Tyler Mayhan 