Ignorance is bliss.
Until it isn’t. Ignorance is the idea that if you can’t see the problem, the problem doesn’t exist. How naïve to think that shutting your eyes makes the whole world disappear? Ignorance is bliss, until it isn’t.
No one bothers with a situation until it’s happening in their own backyard.
Our ancestors evolved, through generations, and years, from cavemen to the modern man, evolution is at the heart of science. Our ancestors evolved because that kept them alive. Survival of the fittest based on the environment that they were in. They didn’t turn a blind eye, and ignore the inevitable changes that time brought on. Instead, as microorganisms became more complex, so did our systems. So did they. The point is, you can’t ignore what’s inevitably making its way to you.
Today’s wounds are yesterday’s injuries
The crisis’ we are facing today aren’t novelty; in fact I don’t think we can pinpoint exactly when the first act of racism was done, or when we started hurting our planet, or when egos became rooted in gender inequality. The real crisis is the fact that we didn’t talk about these things until we were forced to stop and question our beliefs and the world that we created for ourselves. We didn’t care until the problem became so big, that we couldn’t distinguish between the 80s and the 2020s. We didn’t care because we were blissfully ignoring. We didn’t care because we didn’t want to accept the lack of evolution in society.
So the question is, have we been ignorant about everything we didn’t want to accept?
When you mention the 2000s, you imagine the start of a new era, where progress is a catchall term for anything and everything. We forget that true progress lies in revisions and reviews that it isn’t just about moving forward; it’s about going back and optimizing the next step forward. So in the midst of all this progress commotion, we turned a blind eye to the things that didn’t fit under this umbrella. Society failed to become progressive — something we are uncomfortable with. Sure people aren’t as racist towards black lives, but that’s not really progress; it’s progress for the sake of it. For our collective ego’s sake. Less rapes happening is not progress, it could just mean less rapes are being reported — but why bother with that idea, the numbers are still lower right? If we convince ourselves that the progress we’ve made is enough, we can resume our blissful lives. But the truth is, racism still exists, gender inequalities still exist, rapists still exist, and the lack of conversations still exists.
These dark concepts that make us feel uncomfortable are real. And we haven’t progressed in the right way for either of these things. Because the discussion should never be whether black lives matter or not. The discussion should never be around the victim’s clothing choices.
You know this and I know this, when we don’t want to experience these uncomfortable emotions, or have these uncomfortable conversations, we turn around, because at least these things aren’t happening your backyard, right? We aren’t threatened by the same physical dangers that our ancestors experience, natural selection is a thing of the past, isn’t it? Well, is it?
If we don’t evolve, what will prevail? Chaos.
These riots and protests aren’t about anything happening today, they are about the things that have happened for years, they are about the things that should have never happened. We evolved to survive, but it is now far more important to evolve to thrive. If we don’t, we are all just literate fools.
How do we prevent tomorrow’s pain?
Ignorance is not bliss, acknowledging an issue is not enough — to know of the problem doesn’t mean to be free of the problem. Nor should we wait until we drown in the problems around us.
Ignorance is harbouring a home for chaos, so unruly, that we can never truly be prepared for when we reach that inescapable change. If you don’t revise, review, and optimize the next step forward, you can never be prepared to control the chaos.
So what should we do? We should keep pushing for real, drastic change. Change that shouldn’t be applauded, but rather demanded and expected. We shouldn’t applaud a company for hiring more black people, or hiring more women. By giving someone the power to determine who can or cannot sit at the table implies ownership of the table and control over who is invited. We cannot fight for equality and simultaneously ask for permission. We cannot ignore the fact that even today, less than 1% of rapists are convicted. We cannot accept excuses like “intoxication” or “clothing,” because sober and dressed women still get raped. Part of the problem also lies in the fact that as many as 90% of survivors don’t report their abuse. Why? Because we have forced women to dress better and blissfully ignored the fact that men should be taught better.
These conversations are uncomfortable. They make us feel uneasy, they remind us of the little we’ve done to change the world for the better. But excuses only fuel the fire. Justice is meant for everyone, society cannot determine which color or which gender is worthy enough for justice.
“The time is always right to do what is right. “ — Martin Luther King Jr.
Ignorance is bliss, until it isn’t. Until those shoes are yours and until you walk those miles, you will truly never know what it’s like to be at a disadvantage. And even then, psychology says we can never truly experience what someone else experiences. We must evolve, like our ancestors did, but this time, not to survive, but to thrive. So here is my ask to you. Even if you never experience injustice, and even if you never truly understand what someone may go through, it is not just enough to acknowledge the wrong. It’s not enough to just say “these problems exist.” Rather open up conversations. Educate yourself and then vouch for those cannot. Do all that you can. Don’t remain neutral because shutting your eyes doesn’t make the world dark, it only dims the potential to change for the better.
“Truth never damages a cause that is just.” — Gandhi
** I felt that it was important to acknowledge the issues we are facing as a society before I continue the series on medical literacy. Coloured individuals have poorer health outcomes due to poorer literacy rates. **
