Is Ignorance Bliss?
“One of the most important reasons for going to college and getting an education is to learn that the things you’ve believed in all your life aren’t true and that nothing is what it appears to be.”
For those of you who haven’t read Flowers for Algernon, it’s a book that I would highly recommend. A short, easy, and pleasant read, it’s packed full of fascinating concepts and is easily one of the most thought-provoking books I have ever read. It follows the journey of Charlie Gordon, a young man with learning disabilities, as he undergoes an experimental procedure to increase his intelligence. Laid out in the form of journal entries or ‘progress reports’, we get to experience Charlie’s emotions as he goes from having an IQ of 70 to one of over 180. The progress reports beautifully demonstrate Charlie’s increasing intelligence as his writing changes from simple, childlike, and full of errors to fluent, sophisticated, and complex.
Although the book touches on many themes, there is one in particular that piqued my interest: the concept of ignorance being bliss. As Charlie goes through his journey of increasing intelligence, we as an audience can’t help but wonder whether Charlie was happier when he was less intelligent. His recollection of painful memories he had once forgotten and his realisation that the people in his life were not quite what they seemed is an awakening that is heartbreaking to witness. People he thought were friends he now recognises as enemies, and his once-admired heroes become human and flawed. From our privileged position as an audience, we’re able to reach many of these conclusions before Charlie does, so there were times when I found myself rooting for Charlie to find out these truths. But there were many more times when I didn’t want Charlie to find out the truth. So, I wondered, is ignorance really bliss?
Charlie’s journey is one that every single one of us can relate to, as we go from being a child to an adult and find out that the world around us is not as simple as we once thought. I’m sure we can all remember a moment when we realised for the first time that our parents were not perfect but had flaws just like everyone else. However, if we were given the choice, how many of us would give up our intelligence, our knowledge, or our understanding of the world? We often long to go back to our childhoods when everything felt easy and we didn’t seem to have any problems. But I’d like to invite you to recall a time in your childhood when you had a supposedly trivial problem. Was it perhaps that you weren’t allowed the latest toy, maybe you had an argument with a friend about something minor, or did a looming exam feel impossible? When I look back, I remember feeling just as much anxiety in these moments as I now feel when dealing with a difficult boss or unreasonable work deadline. If we examine our childhoods objectively instead of through the rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia, could we genuinely say that we were happier?
In the book, not only did Charlie have problems before and after his increase in IQ, but he seemed to have the same problems. Before the experimental procedure, Charlie tells us, “I just want to be smart like other people, so I can have lots of friends who like me.” Sometime after the procedure, as his intelligence is increasing, he writes, “This intelligence has driven a wedge between me and all the people I knew and loved… now I’m more alone than ever before.” Instinctively, many of us know to reject the idea of ignorance being bliss, and I suspect that not many of us would be willing to give up our intelligence, but would happily increase it. The truth is that we only use the term “ignorance is bliss” when we look down on those we feel are less intelligent than us. I don’t think you’d find a single person who would use that phrase whilst comparing themselves to someone more intelligent. So why is ignorance not really bliss? This is a question I asked myself and one that I really struggled to answer. Having read a few psychological principles and reflected on my own thoughts, here’s what I came up with.
Human beings are naturally curious and have an innate desire to seek more knowledge. This inclines us towards wanting to increase our intelligence. For example, you could argue that if I didn’t have any knowledge of the world, I wouldn’t have a desire to travel widely. But this lack of knowledge would only make me curious about what was outside of my town or my country, leading me to travel widely. In the book, even as Charlie struggles with his IQ of 70, his desire to learn more, to learn to read and write, propels him forward.
If we look back at the earlier example of happiness as a child versus happiness as an adult, we can use this as a surrogate marker for intelligence. As children, our knowledge and intelligence are limited, so we have limited mechanisms we can use to cope with stress and adversity. As our knowledge increases, however, we learn to adapt to more challenging situations. So, when we later come across a problem that requires less knowledge or intelligence, we’re then able to cope with it easily. Many of our childhood problems seem insignificant now. Increasing our intelligence builds psychological resilience, making us happier.
Ignorance often fosters an external locus of control. This is where individuals feel powerless over their circumstances, leading to feelings of helplessness and anxiety. The more knowledge we have, the more we can use it to inform our actions and decisions. So, we feel more in control. The more control we feel we have over our lives, the happier we are.
Intelligence also increases our ability to manage and respond to emotional experiences in adaptive ways. The more awareness and understanding we have of situations, the better we are able to regulate our emotions. For example, if I am aware that work is the source of my heightened stress, I’m less likely to misdirect my emotions towards my family and more likely to deal with the source of my anxiety. Intelligence also allows us to manage our relationships more effectively because we’re able to understand others better.
Ignorance being bliss is just one of the many fascinating themes within Flowers for Algernon. Here, the author focuses on an increase in intelligence, but I suspect you could replace this with almost anything else: wealth, popularity, good looks, or success; and many of the thoughts, emotions, and themes would still apply.
Have you read Flowers for Algernon? Let me know what idea or concept most stood out for you. And if you haven’t read it, definitely give it a try!
