A friend and reader came up with this question, which I didn’t have an autopilot reply for, so the “question de jour” :
Are Innocence And Ignorance The Same ?
Cheers
Resources & Sources
Photos courtesy of Pixabay CC0/Public Domain
Unless otherwise stated everything here is (c) DonCharisma.org, all rights are reserved.
Notes for commenters:
Comments are invited. BUT you are reminded that this is a public blog and you are also reminded to think before you press the “post comment” button.
Good manners are a mark of a charismatic person – so please keep comments civil, non-argumentative, constructive and related, or they will be moderated. If you feel you can’t comply, press the “unfollow” button and/or refrain from commenting.
I read ALL comments but can’t always reply. I will comment if I think there’s something that I can add to what you’ve said. I do delete without notice comments that don’t follow rules above. For persistent offenders I will ignore you permanently and/or report you.
Most decent people already know how to behave respectfully. Thank you for your co-operation on the above.
THANKYOU
The Don Charisma Team
Don Charisma 
Hohoho. Thanks, Don. Material for another episode, where I’ll be discussing this topic with a friend (who is also a contributor). I’ll share the link here after THAT episode is published as the recent one is just an intro.
And this thread got me thinking about rationality as well. What is rational? Should I be open to views because of it or should I stop caring about others (as being rational I know that I am the only one for myself)? And this my friend will be discussed in another episode. 😀
I don’t think so. For me, innocence is optional. It’s a way that you decide to live. You are innocence, when you decide believing people are good. You are innocence, when you decide believe in humans. You are innocence, when you decide to live giving love, doing good actions, helping others. You are being innocence when you believe you can change the world…
Ignorance is when you don’t have a choice. You don’t know something. May be because you are not interested in (well, yes, in this case you have a choice), may be because you haven’t lived it, may be because someone /some people hasn’t/haven’t learnt you or because it/they doesn’t/don’t want you to know.
In my opinion depends on what are you talking about. In any way, no, they aren’t the same.
Fair comment 🙂
I received a blank comment, I don’t know what happened ?
I just answered ‘no.’ Others already explained the differences eloquently.
Ah, ok, no worries … and yes a clever bunch actually 🙂
They are not really…But there is a correlation between them, in that innocence (or my definition as lack of knowledge) can be a cause of ignorance (my definition as having no prior knowledge). But because you can’t reverse that and say that ignorance causes innocence, it’s a bit messed up. Or maybe, if you think about it, you can? I guess in a way they are the same, but since there’s such a negative connotation with ignorance, it’s pejorative, where innocence isn’t. You’re right, it’s confusing. Both are about lack of knowledge, but ignorance seems to be more about actually having the ability to obtain knowledge, but the choice to not obtain it. Innocents don’t have a choice; they simply need more experience. Good question!
Sounds right to me 🙂 I think there’s a “choice” factor, and probably an age experience factor too … also perhaps a strong protecting the weak in the case of innocence …
Do you mean innocence like inexperienced? Or innocence like “not guilty”? Because some of the actions people take out of ignorance and the fears and bigotry it breeds are definitely criminal!
Either of Jenny, one of my new year’s resolutions was to be less specific with my opinion posts … so use your best judgement on what you think I meant 🙂
Within that I think what came originally to mind wasn’t in the judicial sense, but it’s also a valid angle … which I wouldn’t have thought of if you hadn’t mentioned !
Yes, I think they are different. Innocence is a way of viewing the world before we learn how hard and cruel things can and tend to be. Ignorant is a choice so be close-minded and not letting ourselves grow in any way. I still choose to have innocence when i look at the world, and maybe I choose to be ignorant in the “goings-on” in worldly affairs, but I choose to think that ignorance can be changed through the innocence of the way others-and myself-view the world. As a beautiful place we should protect and nurture.
So innocence – strong protecting the weak, until they are strong enough to take on more challenging knowledge ?
And innocence as a virtue in that it can move hearts that have suffered ?
Yes! I believe innocence is about growth, knowledge, love. Innocence is about sympathy, empathy, understanding. The virtue and ability to move and sway decisions based on emotional knowledge-at least for me. It is also in how one can approach a subject and gently push or prod one in a direction the other party wasn’t looking at or for. I think of Mother Theresa. She had an innocence of looking at the world, but so much knowledge behind those kind and unfailingly faithful eyes.
I think that it is like rectangles and squares: a square is always a rectangle because it always meets the qualifications with a special caveat. A rectangle , however, is not always a square. Innocence is always ignorance with the caveat of little or no opportunity to learn or experience outside of ones control. Ignorance can be innocent but mostly it is willful.
Makes sense, it’s logical 🙂
Are innocence and ignorance the same? No! Innocence is about having a soft heart and ignorance requires a hard brain.
I used to have a teacher who would say, none of you are stupid, you’re all ignorant. Stupid he could over look, but ignorance was just unforgivable.
I think innocence is more of a desirable thing, something people should strive for. Children usually have it, but we tend to lose it as we get older.
I like that one, it’s quite a “traditional” thinking I think 🙂 … there’s also denial which you didn’t mention … and perhaps a pretense of innocence (a lie basically) …
Teachers I’ve found have their own agenda in terms of being leaders, meeting their own goals … so I would probably expect a teacher to say something like that … whether I actually listen would boil down to whether I respected them as a person or not 🙂
In a way yes, but my view the difference is that the ignorant is ignorant by choice and because he or she has a chronic closed mind, while innocent doesn’t know because he or she hasn’t acquired the knowledge or didn’t have the experience to improve his or her knowledge.
So willfully not knowing as opposed to not knowing through not yet having acquired knowledge ?
I think that if a child does a mistake is because he or she hasn’t got yet the knowledge not to do it. When, say a radical fundamentalist like a ISIS member commits atrocious crimes is because he stubbornly believes in his interpretation of his religion his mind is shut to rationality and categorically refuses to listen to the views of other people. This latter for me is a sign of true ignorance and a very dangerous one.
That’s a nice contrast you’ve described there, and pretty much what I’d say the difference looks like …
Different
🙂
🙂