What Does Ignorance Mean To You

The question “What does ignorance mean to you?” whirled around in my head for hours. I sat staring at this blank document, expecting the words to somehow write themselves. I repeatedly checked my phone, email, and stared at the wall, in hopes that one of them would magically give me the answer to this vastly open-ended question. I thought, “Why couldn’t this just be another research paper, where I could regurgitate facts onto a page.” This trivial idea sparked an introspective question: “Why is it so hard to write about myself?” The answer to this is very simple; I am ignorant when it comes to both exploring and writing about myself. On the surface it may appear like I know who I am; I know what foods I like and don’t like, I know what clothes

However, many use it as a derogatory term for people who piss them off. Ironically, if you ask these people what ignorance means, they won’t be able to give you a definite answer. Society has been based off of ignorance since it began. For example, early civilizations believed the world was flat due to ill-informed observations or scientific facts. Even though today we know the earth is round, our society is still ignorant. Many still believe that Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, or that eating an hour before going swimming can cause cramps. To me, however, ignorance is more than just a lack of knowledge. Ignorance is aiding and abetting one’s naive thoughts. This promotion of these mindless thoughts causes us to become ignorant. Society indorses this oxymoron by shoving confirmative mindsets down our throats at birth. This, in turn, causes all of humanity to have a difficult time being

Society has bred me to be ignorant about myself. Although it may seem like I have my own personality, ideas and thoughts, I have been shaped and molded to what my society and culture required me to become. Since birth, we have all been hypnotized to want certain clothes, toys, and other various futile items. We have been trained to act appropriately in certain situations, and been required to complete a certain amount of years in school to be considered educated. In our education system, we have been repeatedly told to not put our own voice in our work. The use of personal pronouns in academic papers has been prohibited for as long as I can remember. This, along side others, is a component on why I am ignorant in regards to myself. I have never been met with the challenge to truly look under my skin and see what hides underneath. I have never had the time or the opportunity to awaken my true self. I am ignorant because I choose to follow what society has taught me with rarely questioning who I am. Before, I mentioned that I know what kind of foods I like, and what clothes I like to wear. However, I know these things because of the influences of my culture. I like the Americanized food I grew up with, and the clothes I see in magazines and TV that are in style. If I lived in a different culture, I am sure that these would certainly be different to conform to that society. Therefore, these