Coming at us like this--in waves, massed and unbreachable--knowledge becomes symbolic of our disempowerment--becomes bad knowledge--so we deny it, riding its crest until it subsides from consciousness... "Ignorance." In this root sense, ignorance is an act of will, a choice that one makes over and over again, especially when information overwhelms and knowledge has become synonymous with impotence... If we can't act on knowledge, then we can't survive without ignorance... Ignorance becomes empowering because it enables people to live. Stupidity becomes proactive, a political statement.
The quote reflects on the overwhelming nature of knowledge in modern society, suggesting that it can paralyze individuals rather than empower them. When confronted with an abundance of information, people may choose to ignore it, viewing ignorance as a means of coping. This choice can be seen as a repeated decision to prioritize emotional survival over the burden of knowledge that feels unmanageable or oppressive.
In this context, ignorance transforms into a form of empowerment, allowing individuals to navigate life without the weight of excessive information. The act of embracing ignorance becomes a political stance, where the refusal to engage with overwhelming knowledge signifies a proactive choice, suggesting that on the path of survival, denial may hold its own value.
