Gaining knowledge is what has helped us succeed as a species. Are there circumstances, though, where ignorance is preferred?
Across the planet, different species fit a particular environmental niche. The native plants or animals tend to be adapted for the environment, to stay warm in cold temperatures, or have long necks to reach the tall trees, and so on.
Humans are, on paper, a middling species, at best. We’re not the strongest, or the fastest. By almost every measure, there is some other type of life form that is better.
One of the few exceptions has to do with gaining and retaining knowledge. We puzzle out why things work the way they do. That has led to a deeper, more comprehensive understanding of the world and how it works.
And once we learn something, we share it with others. We write it down, or speak it aloud as much and as far as we can. That combination, figuring stuff out and then telling everyone about it, has allowed our species to spread across the globe and thrive like few other animal species have.
Is knowledge, though, always a good thing? Once learned, it is not possible to unlearn something. Are there instances where knowing something is objectively, or subjectively, a bad thing?
For example, would we be better off not knowing how to make atomic weapons that could destroy the world several times over? On a more personal level, does it serve any benefit to learn that your co-worker makes significantly more money than you do? Or that your partner cheated on you years ago?
Can you think of things, from your own life or your imagination, where you have regretted learning something? Is more knowledge always a good thing?
Related questions: Does knowledge have inherent value? What can you learn from loss? Is faster better?