ˈɪɡnərəns ɪz blɪs
General
neutral
beginner
- Literally:
- Not knowing something is happiness
What does "ignorance is bliss" mean?
- It's sometimes better not to know something unpleasant
- Lack of knowledge can bring peace of mind
Examples
- I don't want to know the details—ignorance is bliss.
- Sometimes ignorance is bliss when it comes to politics.
- She believes ignorance is bliss and avoids the news.
Origin
From Thomas Gray's 1742 poem 'Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College': 'Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise.'
How to use it
Can be used genuinely or sarcastically. Sometimes implies willful avoidance of uncomfortable truths.
Similar expressions
what you don't know can't hurt you
better not to know
Opposites
knowledge is power
better to know the truth
Related idioms
- actions speak louder than words
What people do is more important than what they say
- better safe than sorry
It's better to be careful and prevent problems than to take risks
- so far so good
Things have gone well up to now
- easier said than done
Something is more difficult to do than to talk about
- make a long story short
To summarize or get to the point
- to make matters worse
In addition to existing problems
Use it in a practice answer
Try "ignorance is bliss" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.