Blissfully ignorant

We do not have to know everything about something in order to understand it; too many facts are often as much of an obstacle to understanding as too few. There is a sense in which we moderns are inundated with facts to the detriment of understanding.” — How to Read a Book by Charles Van Doren, Mortimer J. Adler

One of my longtime goals in life has to been to so calibrate my life that I am doing more and more about less and less. 

But something I’ve learned is, in order to do this, I must also be willing to know less and less about more and more. 

There are just some things I do not need to know.  Matter of fact, if there is not a direct way for me to make a positive contribution then in most cases I’m far better off being blissfully ignorant. 

Of course, being blissfully ignorant about a bridge that is out up ahead can be disastrous.  But I’ve learned that if it is really, really important, someone I trust will tell me.  For example, the way I learned about 9/11 was because my secretary at the time stuck her head in the door and said, “I think you need to see this.” (She was right!)

I also intentionally keep people in my life who “know things” and I make it a point to regularly check in with them and ask, “What do I need to know?” 

Between these two guardrails, I am free to focus most of my time and attention on doing the few things I can do reasonably well and not waste precious time and energy on fretting about stuff that is above or beneath my paygrade.

On a side note, I’ve learned that once something is known, it is virtually impossible to unknown it.  Of course, if there is a pedophile or an ax murderer in the room I want to know about it.  But I have not only found it healthy but essential to relentlessly tune out the noise about the faults and failures of people.  I don’t need to know those things to love them and call them friend.  Most of the time, its just best not to know.

One of the things I appreciate about doctors is that they readily admit that they practice medicine, not do medicine.  This despite being far superior to most of us in knowledge about human anatomy, disease, and medical procedures.  What they understand is that great amounts of knowledge do not compensate for what you do not know – and there is always something unknown and that is okay. 

Lately I’ve taken that same mindset about my life.  I try not to do life anymore; I practice life, doing what I know to do and leaving the rest up to God and all those fretful people who just feel like they need to know.

Blissfully ignorant…that’s the life for me.

The ONE THING for today: Before clicking that link, taking the bait, answering the call…ask yourself, “Do I really need to know this?”