4 ms·

Is it better to be happy, or informed?

jacquesm 11y ago
http://vladdolezal.com/blog/2011/circle-of-concern-circle-of-influence-circle-of-control/ http://vladdolezal.com/blog/2011/circle-of-concern-circle-of... Ignorance is bliss. Personally I'd rather be informed, that way when I do have the power to exert a little influence (such as in the voting booth) I'm more likely to make a decision that will steer away from more mess. Even so that almost always feels like decisions between various grades of bad rather than something good.
EC1 11y ago
Happy. Trying my best to get over existential dread.
- stray 11y ago
  Definitely happy.
calvins 11y ago
"It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied. And if the fool, or the pig, are of a different opinion, it is because they only know their own side of the question. The other party to the comparison knows both sides." - John Stuart Mill
- EGreg 11y ago
  Can anyone really know what it's like to be a pig? - Thomas Nagle paraphrased :)
  - jessaustin 11y ago
    Lots of people seem to be perfectly placed to know this. Much easier than knowing what it's like to be an eagle, for instance.
oldmanjay 11y ago
Avoid subjecting yourself to the tyranny of false dichotomies. It's vastly superior to either alone.
- Throwaway23412 11y ago
  It's not completely a false dichotomy. A casual Google search says that "happy" == "feeling or showing pleasure or contentment". The more informed you are, the more problems you will see and the less content you will be with the state of things. Problems aren't particularly conducive to happiness. That said, ignorance is not necessarily bliss. It is better to be informed and be able to protect oneself from possible problems than it is to continue to pretend everything is fine and fall victim to eventual problems.
ionised 11y ago
I need both.
sevensor 11y ago
After September 11, 2001, I stopped listening to the news for about 5 years. I was tired of hearing one horrible thing after another. While I wasn't living under a rock, the things I did hear about -- Blackwater, Abu Ghraib, "Mission Accomplished" --- did nothing to make me want to pay attention again. In retrospect, I think it's too complacent a stance, but I still think a daily dose of bad news is excessive. Which is why I read up on the presidential primaries at a weekly interval.

http://vladdolezal.com/blog/2011/circle-of-concern-circle-of-influence-circle-of-control/ http://vladdolezal.com/blog/2011/circle-of-concern-circle-of... Ignorance is bliss. Personally I'd rather be informed, that way when I do have the power to exert a little influence (such as in the voting booth) I'm more likely to make a decision that will steer away from more mess. Even so that almost always feels like decisions between various grades of bad rather than something good.

EC1 11y ago

Happy. Trying my best to get over existential dread.

stray 11y ago
Definitely happy.

calvins 11y ago

"It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied. And if the fool, or the pig, are of a different opinion, it is because they only know their own side of the question. The other party to the comparison knows both sides." - John Stuart Mill

EGreg 11y ago
Can anyone really know what it's like to be a pig? - Thomas Nagle paraphrased :)
- jessaustin 11y ago
  Lots of people seem to be perfectly placed to know this. Much easier than knowing what it's like to be an eagle, for instance.

oldmanjay 11y ago

Avoid subjecting yourself to the tyranny of false dichotomies. It's vastly superior to either alone.

Throwaway23412 11y ago
It's not completely a false dichotomy. A casual Google search says that "happy" == "feeling or showing pleasure or contentment". The more informed you are, the more problems you will see and the less content you will be with the state of things. Problems aren't particularly conducive to happiness. That said, ignorance is not necessarily bliss. It is better to be informed and be able to protect oneself from possible problems than it is to continue to pretend everything is fine and fall victim to eventual problems.

ionised 11y ago

I need both.

sevensor 11y ago

After September 11, 2001, I stopped listening to the news for about 5 years. I was tired of hearing one horrible thing after another. While I wasn't living under a rock, the things I did hear about -- Blackwater, Abu Ghraib, "Mission Accomplished" --- did nothing to make me want to pay attention again. In retrospect, I think it's too complacent a stance, but I still think a daily dose of bad news is excessive. Which is why I read up on the presidential primaries at a weekly interval.