A little ice-cream tonight will do no harm!
It’s the 6th day of my clean 21-day diet. Apparently if you practice something for 21 days, it becomes a habit. But tonight is my special night. My boss gave me a raise and my yoga teacher applauded at my renewed strength. This calls for a celebration! I don’t think a little ice-cream could do me much harm.
After all, it’s really just milk and chocolate sauce! But didn’t I read somewhere that these days ice-creams are made of vegetable oil? Nahhh. That can’t be true; it’s so milky and white! It’s definitely a healthy option. Besides if I don’t consume it in 3 days, it will expire and I bought it with my sweat and blood…. Better consume before I regret this wastage!
(In 10 mins) I can’t believe the box is finished! Anyway, it doesn’t matter. After all, I earn to live to the fullest!
This is the conversation of the two bickering girls in me, at least twice a month. And most of you too!
There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. ― Søren Kierkegaard
Here, I have a choice. Either I can recognize the fact (maybe do some research) that ice-creams aren’t a healthy option for me and take measures to reduce, and ultimately stop consuming it; or I can continue to believe that ice-creams had no role to play in my increasing waistline, severely challenging my ability of making sensible calculations or embracing Willful Ignorance.
When humans know that at some level of their consciousness, what they believe in is not true, or they refuse to attend to any such information that proves their falsity, that is the onset of Wilful Ignorance.
Sometimes when the things we love are in question, like a football team that used to do well in the past but now, not so much, we still will stand up against opponents and justify the poor show of the players. We obstinately ignore such uncomfortable aspects of life that we do not have courage to face.
Example: I have a friend who is the opposite of me. While I have the curiosity and hunger to know more, he is happy and carefree in his world playing football and enjoying each day in the same fashion. Many-a-times in the past I used to tell him that though it’s great that he’s excelling in his game, but he lacks a lot in his total development as a responsible individual. And every single time he would in a way, snap at me and somehow justify his behaviour in this and that situation. I think deep down he knew at that point, he has his personality to work on, but didn’t have the courage to face the fact that he may be as faulty as I made it sound. His sudden spurs in those moments bore witness to the ignorance in him. He wasn’t arrogant, but a tough case of willfully ignorant.
Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn. ― Benjamin Franklin
And I have to agree with that. It’s great if your life is going smooth even with your wilful ignorance of things. But with the passage of time, you will be entirely oblivious to what is happening around you. And a time will come when the same ignorance will turn into self-deception, totally out of your control!
Humans see what they want to see. ― Rick Riordan
And once you have made your ignorance your reality, it is hard to turn back.To the ones who are still rowing the wilful ignorance boat I ask, have you never thought about what may lie beyond your ignorance? It takes a little introspection and acceptance of reality to give your blind spot a rest. Who knows, maybe you could uncover a whole new person!
An unexamined life is not worth living — Plato
I’m so glad I didn’t give up on my friend and used all opportunities to show him a mirror in the past. I was cruel at times because I hated the fact that he was giving up the opportunity of being a better version of himself.
Today, he has learnt so much and is on roll to turn his life around! Yesterday he asked me, Sakshi how can I possibly do enough to show my gratitude towards you? And I said, A LITTLE ICE-CREAM TONIGHT WILL DO NO HARM!
Help your Willfully Ignorant friend and share this!
Originally published at fourleafcloversandhappiness.wordpress.com on February 4, 2018.
