Within the context of discussions and debates, the world is abundant in people who focus on victory instead of truth. As a result, most are afraid of the potential repercussions of saying, "I don't know." The fact that there are immediate negative repercussions as a result of this claim is an issue in and of itself.
Of course there are times when "I don't know" won't suffice. However, for the large majority of scenarios in which an answer to a question is warranted, "I don't know" is a valid answer. If you legitimately don't know, then any other response would be, in a way, deceptive. If you're in a situation in which you're able to freely discuss something or participate in a debate with others, I think the goal should be clear. If the goal is to "win," then concession or admitting ignorance may seem unacceptable. If the goal is truth, and discussion and debate are used as tools for the pursuit thereof, then humility should permit the statement "I don't know" with a minimal to obsolete feeling of defeat.
Now, as the title of this post suggests, ignorance is not a state in which one should be comfortable. Yes, I think we should all be humble enough to recognize when we are ignorant of something. But then we should try to learn about the respective topic to pull ourselves out of that ignorance. In other words, ignorance shouldn't be championed; it should be acknowledged and surmounted. Taking the time to learn about topics you are ignorant of—especially topics that are bound to arise in conversation; think current events—make you a better-rounded person and a subsequently more useful member of society. The sources and methods utilized to acquire knowledge on a given topic are important as well, but the amount of information and the ease of access provided by the 21st century make engaging with them a breeze. Simply dipping a toe in the available information helps those around you because questions may arise that everyone can give their take on. Pooling ideas and perspectives of others together is one way to flush out instabilities or flaws in trains of thought. Checks and balances ftw.
I hope to see more people accept that they aren't informed enough on a topic to provide a reasonable answer. I think this, coupled with the authentic pursuit of knowledge and truth, would contribute to the betterment of society and the world.
Tags: ignorance, humility, idk, debate, intellection