QuoteProject
I would rather be ignorant than knowledgeable of evils.
Aeschylus
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

The speaker prefers not to know about the existence of evil rather than being burdened by that knowledge.

This quote by Aeschylus reflects a philosophical stance on the nature of knowledge and ignorance. It suggests that sometimes, ignorance can be a form of emotional protection, allowing a person to live without the added weight of understanding the darker aspects of life. The quote provokes thought about the benefits and burdens of knowledge, especially regarding difficult or painful truths.

Themes

IgnoranceKnowledgeEvilPhilosophyTruth

In practice

Example use cases

During a discussion about the impact of harsh realities on mental health, this quote could illustrate the comfort found in ignorance.

More from Aeschylus

A god implants in mortal guilt whenever he wants utterly to confound a house.
AeschylusRead
Neither a life of anarchy nor a life under a despot should you praise. To all that lies in the middle has a god given excellence.
AeschylusRead
In every tyrant's heart there springs in the end this poison, that he cannot trust a friend.
AeschylusRead
It is not the oath that makes us believe the man, but the man the oath.
AeschylusRead
In war, truth is the first casualty.
AeschylusRead
There is no pain so great as the memory of joy in present grief.
AeschylusRead

Similar quotes

Of all that is written, I love only what a person hath written with his blood.
Friedrich NietzscheRead
The toddler must say no in order to find out who she is. The adolescent says no to assert who she is not.
Louise J. KaplanRead
To pin your hopes upon the future is to consign those hopes to a hypothesis, which is to say, a nothingness. Here and now is what we must contend with.
Angela CarterRead
You, boy, who owe everything to a name
Mark AntonyRead
Just imagine how boring life would be if we were all the same. My idea of a perfect world is one in which we really appreciated each other's differences: Short, tall; Democrat, Republican; black, white; gay, straight-a world in which all of us are equal, but definitely not the same.
Barbra StreisandRead
Make me an instrument of thy peace.
Francis Of AssisiRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.