The Value Of Ignorance

I learned a lesson once, about the treasured value of hard won ignorance. It was an important lesson.

It started with this old Robin Williams movie, What Dreams May Come. Spoiler alert: Robin Williams is the main character. He dies ten minutes into the movie. The entire rest of the movie is about Robin Williams' character's journey through the afterlife.

I thought the movie was interesting, and said so to a coworker at the time, who said, "Oh, no, I'm not going to see that movie."

"Why not?"

"Because I mustn't."

"Why... not?"

Well, we talked about why this Robin Williams movie was forbidden fruit, and it boiled down to this: "Y'see, Robin Williams dies in this movie, and he doesn't go to Heaven or Hell or anything. But I LIKE Robin Williams, and I might like the MOVIE. But ... HE DOESN'T GO TO HEAVEN OR HELL, therefore, this movie contradicts my deeply held religious BELIEFS, and if I LIKE this movie, it might challenge or damage my FAITH!"

My first thought was "Dude, if your faith can be challenged or damaged by a friggin' Robin Williams movie, I can't say your faith was all that strong in the FIRST place."

But I was too polite to say that, so I didn't. As the discussion went on, though, I found that this person apparently avoided a LOT of things, apparently due to the fear that he'd suddenly take drugs, get laid, and run out and worship Satan or something. I would later learn that there are a great MANY people whose faith apparently REQUIRES this... STRENUOUS avoidance of anything that might make'm THINK, much less challenge one's faith.

Folks like this apparently avoid ANYTHING that doesn't reinforce their beliefs and worldview, in much the same way that a guy in financial difficulty avoids looking at his checkbook. It struck me as a hell of a way to live. It also struck me as an excellent way to avoid learning anything about how anyone ELSE lives; after all, MY way is the RIGHT way, right? And therefore, anyone ELSE's way is the WRONG way, and to understand and sympathize with them might damage my FAITH, right? Might tempt me to inject a marijuana, listen to Chubby Checker records, have sex, and worship SATAN, right? Best to stick to what I KNOW!

And if you take this reasoning a little further? Those BEST QUALIFIED to LEAD you in the righteous path... are THOSE WHO KNOW THE LEAST about ANYTHING outside of one's own belief system. The most ignorant are therefore the most righteous... and therefore, the best qualified!

And I'll tell you: I found this reasoning to be among the screwiest things I've ever considered. But it did help me understand a great many people who insist on respect for their rights...

...while insisting on the power to trample those of others.