Ignorance Is Not A Bliss - 1765 Words

Ignorance Is Not a Bliss In his excerpt â€Å"Idiot Nation,† from his 2001 book Stupid White Men and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation, Michael Moore argues that the American education system has failed to properly educate its students and has instead produced a standardized citizenry incapable of developing its own opinions and beliefs. As a political activist, the author is angered by how ignorant the country has become and continues to be, and tries to prove to his audience the need for an improved, better structured education system. He intends to change his young audience’s perspective on education by using a witty, sarcastic tone, by using personal anecdotes, and by providing evidential data that further support his case. Moore challenges and belittles authority, in order to motivate his audience and show them that they can become activists for their own education, that they have a voice to be heard. Moore fears for the future of the nation because he, himself, has gone through the system and understands the flaws within. During his early schooling, he was given the opportunity to skip first grade, but his mom pleaded that he would â€Å"always be the youngest and littlest kid through [his] schools years,† (126) so she prevented him from advancing to second grade. Since then, Moore has had the notion that schools are not nurturing the students’ minds, instead they force kids to â€Å"submerge any personal expression† (136). He grew up in an environment that suppressedShow MoreRelatedIgnorance is not Bliss Essay928 Words   |  4 Pagesof weight than children living in the hovels of Gaza, Palestine. After all, with very few sources of information, how can the American population understand anything, much less why a multitude of things make other cultures angry? Unfortunately, ignorance is where isolationism rests. Our foreign policy shows quite clearly that non-intervention is out. Not when non-intervention would cost us easy access to foreign resources, specifically foreign oil. The middle east has been dominated by war forRead MoreOedipus Rex - Bliss in Ignorance860 Words   |  4 Pageshimself would have saved Oedipus and his children/siblings much agony. However, in the typical Greek tragedy, we must see his fall from grace through, which is indeed what happens. In the bliss of ignorance, much pain and difficulty is averted. For what worries does the ignorant man have? In the case of Oedipus, ignorance would have suited him fine. The Socratic quote the unexamined life is not worth living certainly doesn t hold true in the case of Oedipus Rex. While it may hold importance and a substantialRead MoreIgnorance Is Bliss In Animal Farm1008 Words   |  5 Pages Chloe Tibbs Mrs.Weiss Honors English 9 9 August, 2017 Ignorance is Bliss During the course of mankind society has been subject to an endless line of good and bad leaders. In society it’s typically ruler to ruled, and often the ruled are mistreated and tricked by the ruler. Animal Farm is a prime example of the ruler to ruled stereotype. Leaders are someone society looks to for guidance, when the storm is too rough to bare on their own. Followers are devotee’s to a person, cause orRead MoreThe, Ignorance Is Bliss, By Albert Einstein And Steven Hawking1205 Words   |  5 PagesThere is a famous saying that goes, â€Å"Ignorance is bliss;† when superficially examining this saying, one might conclude that some things are better left unknown. After analyzing the maxim, one might be provoked to ask if an omniscient mind is superior. After all, it is geniuses such as Albert Einstein and Steven Hawking who acclaim their fame from their brilliance. Although the perception of knowledge varies, when earned, knowledge engenders an en lightenment and purity of mind; however, as evincedRead MoreIgnorance Is Not Bliss. Fox News Blared From The Television767 Words   |  4 PagesIgnorance is Not Bliss Fox news blared from the television as I walked into my grandparents’ house for Thanksgiving. Titles from the broadcast included: â€Å" HYPOCRITICAL THREAT? Obama takes heat over warning states can t legally refuse Syrian refugees.† â€Å"Names of key Paris attackers were known to Belgian mayor in 2014† â€Å"ISIS parks its cash in Bitcoin, experts say.† â€Å"Russia deploys missiles in Syria after Turkey shoots down bomber.† These are a few of the headlines that assaulted me as I greetedRead More Ignorance Is Bliss in Flannery OConnors Good Country People1067 Words   |  5 PagesFlannery OConnors Good Country People has a steady demonstration of irony, much of it based on the title of the story. Ignorance is also a major issue in the work, both Ms. Freeman and Ms. Hopewell exhibit this clearly. However ironically, Hulga exhibits this with her knowledge. She takes pride in her own intellect and in her knowledge of existentialism. Hulgas exi stentialist ideas come crashing down because of her naà ¯vetà © and lack of dependence on others. Hulga believes she is self sustainedRead MoreIgnorance, Ignorance And Ignorance1136 Words   |  5 PagesAccording to Mark Lilla’s â€Å"Ignorance and Bliss†, â€Å"The source of the proverb Ignorance is Bliss is a poem by the 18th century English poet Thomas Gray, who wrote in passing: â€Å"Where ignorance is bliss/ Tis folly to be wise† (Lilla). At the time the proverb was referring to the Enlightenment and Christianity’s glorification of blind faith, and its renunciation of both scientific reason and philosophical inquiry; however, today, it can be interpreted as whether or not man has the ability to maintainRead MoreTheme Of Ignorance In The House Of The Scorpion804 Words   |  4 Pagessincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity., says Martin Luther King Jr. Truer words have never been spoken, for when ignorance is bliss, there is a steep price t o pay. In The House of the Scorpion, Nancy Farmer creates a character named Matteo Alacrà ¡n, and for the first half of the book, he is ignorance personified. When Matt learns the truth about his identity, his bubble of bliss is shattered, but perhaps it was for his own good. The great poet Thomas Gray writes, Where ignorance is bliss, / TisRead More A Comparison of Ignorance in The Tempest and Sonnet 93 Essay936 Words   |  4 PagesIgnorance in The Tempest and Sonnet 93      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ignorance has been said to be bliss.   To equate appearance with reality is a facet of ignorance, and leads to a part of the bliss.   Many of Shakespeares characters find the bliss of ignorance and revel in it, and some end up coming to terms with their gullibility.   Some few are unwilling to abandon their ignorance even when they can see real truth.   All are experiencing different stages of the human cycle.   Coming into the world, we are equippedRead MoreThe Matrix, By The Wachowski Brothers1454 Words   |  6 PagesIn the film, â€Å"The Matrix,† written by the Wachowski Brothers we see the great effects of being ignorant to the truth as all sense of reality is inexistent. In connection with Plato’s philosophies, the questions of blissful ignorance and what really makes reality are aspects of our lives that we ponder in search for truth and what is real. We know that what is clear and true to us is our individual sense of reality that co mes from the knowing of tr uth, our perceptions and beliefs in our minds. Though