I am struggling to think of an obstacle where ignorance is better than knowledge. Maybe a child's temporary ignorance is better than knowledge, especially if that knowledge is hard to understand quickly. Does a child need to know why she cannot play in the street? Or why fires are dangerous? No; a child's ignorance can be buffered by a trust and obedience in a guiding adult. But as adults, the more knowledge we have the better informed our decision will be in our attempts to overcome obstacles.
"But trying to keep an intellectual from books is about as effective as...ordering someone not to think about a rhinoceros," p46-7
The quote and my reflection on it is a tangent from the general theme of the book and chapter, but the quote is thought provoking nonetheless (I realize I made an unavoidable but unintentional tautology). Can we control the thoughts in our head, or are we products of our surroundings? I read the word rhinoceros and could not help but picture a rhinoceros. Maybe I could have avoided reading the book, but did I have a choice in the matter? I saw the book in the library, I designed this project because I learned it through a colleague. Do I have the control over anything I do, or is my life predetermined? It may be the latter, but who would live their life like that?
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