The willing or unwilling extinguishing of the mind toward a
particular subject. Generally, ignorance results in confusion and anger, which themselves result in the idolization of
emotionalist and
collectivist world-views: a mindless, emotional attachment to the super-organism of a collective, whether that be a society, tribe or gang.
If an
individual remains willfully ignorant toward a particular subject, the
individual is forced to make unreasonable appeals to experts, authority figures, and, depending on the individual's corroded state of mind, a collective (mob rule). These unreasonable appeals are often utilized to compensate for the individual's lack of substance (knowledge). Through the blind faith in experts, authority figures and collectives, the distortion of data for political purposes arise. As distortion of data (which results in incremental detachment from reality) strengthens, the
individual, being ignorant, is treated like a child or an irrational animal to be rounded up, controlled and directed toward a mythological 'common good'. The individual is dumbed down even further through the mediums of education
manipulation and excessive
entertainment amusements to keep the individual distracted from self-cultivation, character and asking questions.
The only cure for ignorance is the pursuit of knowledge and thus knowing thyself (mastering the body, mind and senses through the exercise of reason). In short, the only cure for ignorance is the triumph of reason. Anything contrary to reason is slavery. Slavery is ignorance. Ignorance is death. Death produces zombies.
“Aristotle was asked how much educated
men are superior to the uneducated: "As much," said he, "as the living are to the dead” - Diogenes.
