IGNORANCE Vs STUPIDITY

By OLIVENE GODFREY

There is a difference in being stupid and being ignorant. Ignorant means unenlightened, uneducated, lacking information,uninformed or inexperienced. But, stupid means very slow of apprehension or understanding, mentally sluggish. Still, in our society where most of make concentrated efforts to conceal our ignorance, few of us would dare tell another person he isn't stupid, just ignorant.

I've read that we shouldn't be ashamed of our ignorance, that everybody is ignorant about something, and so forth. And while on rare occasions, such as right now, or when the subject is being discussed among friends, I'll admit my own ignorance about many subjects. But, in everyday life, I often find myself, as most people do, trying to conceal my ignorance. Because of being an avid reader, and having lived long enough to have learned a few things from experienced, I'm one of those persons who knows a little bit about a lot of things. But, I'm not an expert on anything. Yet, I can follow along with others who are experts on a great many subjects, injecting the right words at the right times, giving the impression that I know more than I do about the subject.. And, haven't you done the same thing?

But, we are defeating ourselves. Admitting our ignorance can be a spur to learning. By saying, "I am ignorant about this subject but I want to learn more about it," we're showing we aren't stupid, only ignorant, which shouldn't be such a shameful admission. I remember reading an article on this subject in which the author pointed out that we have forgotten how to allude without learning to explain. And, in this case, our ignorance is shameful.

For instance, within recent years a great deal of emphasis has been put on writing so that everybody, regardless of intellect and education, can readily understand every word written in a piece. Now that is impossible. But that isn't all that is asked of writers.
That piece composed of one syllable words should also be challenging and full of intellectual content. It can't be done! And, furthermore, it should not be attempted. The reader needs to be challenged, to be provoked into learning, and perhaps correcting his own ignorance. Intellectual snobbery is detestable. But, isn't anti-intellectual equally detestable?
Having acquired knowledge of literature, history, etc....doesn't make a human being superior to another. Still, I think knowing is better than not knowing.

While on this subject, the inevitable question, "Is ignorance bliss?"usually comes up. My answer remains the same. For me, ignorance is not bliss. I'd rather know.