Willed Ignorance is purposely choosing to be ignorant.
Mr. Lemon Face used to suffer from a defense mechanism called Willed Ignorance. This is where a person who wants to be ignorant of something so they can continue living selfishly. In other words, they can't allow anything to ever challenge the way they think, in order for them to continue to have the appearance of feeling safe. An ostrich is never safe when he buries his head because his rear is left for all to see. Willed Ignorance is doing nothing but exposing yourself to greater vulnerability and danger. Luckily Mr. Lemon Face was triggered by something that snapped him out of his denial. He at first tried to bury his head but he couldn’t find a hole big enough for his head. So, he was forced to see reality as it really is and he rather quickly realized just how ignorant he had allowed himself to become. “I’m using far more of my oversized brain now days. It’s great! I don’t make as many mistakes as I used to, now.” -Mr. Lemon Face
[This is a pen and ink watercolor of Mr. Lemon Face. I sold the original on eBay awhile back for .01¢ because I did the auction option and the highest bit was 1 cent. ☹️ I had to spend $7 to ship it to the lady who won, so I lost money on this one. Also, on top of that, PayPal was going to charge me a $2 fee to claim my penny so I never claimed it. ☹️ The lady said her son loves lemons so she got this painting for his birthday. I hope he liked it.]
Back to the lesson: If we ignore any evidence brought before us, without attempting to give reasons than we are guilty of Willed Ignorance. Refusing to change one’s mind or consider conflicting information is a vice not a virtue. It's a fallacy people commit in life when they chose to ignore facts and knowledge because it conflicts with their own biased interpretations. It can be used as a perfect scapegoat for those who insist on ignoring the truth so they can escape the moral responsibility that is demanded of them if they want to be a person of character.
Someone who even though knows that something is not right, but still sticks to their narcissistic ideas, because of their pride and arrogance does a grave injustice to his/her conscience, thus compromising his/her own integrity.
Deliberately not wanting to know -limits our perspective and it forces us to refuse the truth. Willed Ignorance is what people do when the truth is too hard. They believe it will take them to an unsafe place, but truth be said, nothing could be further from the truth. Hiding our head in the sand at the sight of anything unpleasant is a dumb action to do.
Ignorance is bliss. Is it really? Only a fool would believe this. Ignorance means we make one mistake after another. Our endless amount of bad decisions will ultimately lead to us to become the worst version of ourselves.
As distressing as brainwashed ignorance can be by the deliberate dumbing-down of everybody, it is Willed Ignorance that is most troubling. This isn't the result of a lack of access to accurate data or an inability to analyze the available information. Instead, this ignorance is willed, the product of people making a choice to not-know so that they don’t have to face the high demands of the moral implications of knowing the truth.
Did you know the global elite want us to be Willfully Ignorant? What better way to scam us into their new world order. It’s time to wake up to reality just like Mr. Lemon Face did.
If we Will our Ignorance then we will have to constantly censor information or filter it because we will feel threatened by it. Like if we were to receive negative feedback from someone even though they said the truth we would punish the messenger and blame it on them. Someone handicapped with Willed Ignorance has to interpret all data in terms of self-preservation or survival, thus always asking is this or that person a threat or not? If we are denying the truth then we are a mixed-up person who has to micromanage others, and disempower others, by keeping others down with criticism. We would have to master manipulate techniques by making appearances and by implementing some aspects of physiological warfare on our own family members and friends, and we would blame others for our problems when we are the cause of them. If we are ignoring reality we really cannot have any good or deep relationships with others or even with God because we will not meet the requirements that are required us to be a trustworthy or faithful person to others. We would be stuck in our superficial and mediocre prison, but if we snap out of this, then we will be truly a fair and balanced person not just in word, but also in deed and even in thought.
"Zero Based Thinking" is a possible solution. This could help someone who would like to not suffer from Willed Ignorance.
'The Habit of Zero Based Thinking.'
Just ask yourself, "Knowing what I know now, is there anything I wouldn't get involved with today?" -Brian Tracy
I've got my mind made up, so don't confuse me with the facts. That is Willed Ignorance. Be wise and avoid this negative attitude because if you don't you won't have the ability to see the world as it really truly is. 😉
You nailed it with this post! GREAT READ and very informative! You made so many outstanding points. You are right, ignorance is NOT bliss!
Good reflection, I think many people prefer not to leave their comfort zone, ignoring many things, for the simple feeling of security.
For that reason I live questioning my bases, and my way of thinking, I may be wrong in many things, I think that at the end of everything, you feel more confident with your beliefs after doing this, because when you deliberately ignore information to feel comfortable , you live with fear that something or someone contradicts you, it is a kind of fear that something will question your way of being, I would even say that it is a little fear of the truth.
By the way, cannot believe that you have "sold" to Mr. Lemon Face for $0.01, certainly worth much more, haha, although you may have brought a smile on the face of a child.
love the tones mate
You make an excellent case against willed ignorance and fingers crossed it has an impact. As for Brian Tracy's video, I have been living that way since school which I hated. I promised myself then, that I would never again spend time doing things that were meaningless to me. I have been lucky enough to always find something in tune with that promise and to be able move on when it no longer resonated.
So sorry about the selling of your painting. You have learned to value your work now though I am sure. A bit like that saying - ' when life sends you lemons, make lemonade ' ;)
ps - check out @fineartnow - new collection of artists
What? Thank you for such nice comments. I did check out @fineartnow.
Very nice painting @across-the-moon.
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Awesome!
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