A lack of knowledge is at the heart of our most profound experiences says Rory Stewart in the Radio Times (6-12 July 2024)
Say the word ‘ignorance’ and it’s immediately assumed that you are talking about something bad. We pride ourselves on how much we know. Knowledge has transformed our understanding of the universe and ourselves, It has revolutionised our health, our society and the length of our lives. And ignorance is, we sense, like a demon that threatens our identity and our progress.
As a child, I was obsessed with knowledge. Later, I became so anxious that I would die without knowing everything that I set off to try to walk around the world. But then I began to understand that knowledge was more tricky and sometimes more dangerous than I had imagined; that ignorance often deepened my perceptions, and that ignoring it impoverished my life.
I suppose I felt this first in Afghanistan, when I became aware that the people I stayed with night after night, who couldn’t read or write, were more mature, thoughtful and dignified that I, and had a better sense of purpose in their lives.
Our ignorance is at the heart of our most profound experiences – our moments of mystery or wonder. Ignorance is central to scientific discovery; 95 per cent of the universe is unknown to us. At a micro, subatomic level, our descriptions of what’s happening are completely bewildering. Our language grinds to a halt. Often what we find is not certainty but probability, creativity; artists step into the unknown. They harness their first impressions and can feel trapped by too much knowledge. Great classical music reaches beyond anything we can put into words.
Ignorance is important in healthy relationships. I don’t read my wife’s private emails or rifle through her drawers. By giving her space, I’m saying I ought not to know everything about her, and allowing something important to grow. […]
We need space for stillness and silence. I go into a garden, and I can look up a plant on an app. But I’d like to be able to go into a garden with a sense of wonder. If you knew everything about your future there would be no purpose in living, Ignorance is what keeps you going. It is a fundamental human condition with its own story.
This isn’t an argument for not knowing but an argument for a better way of knowing, where knowledge and ignorance exist in a relationship with each other, The metaphor I come back to is death. Without death, there would be no shape or texture to our lives. There’s no punchline if you know the end of the joke.
Rory Stewart is a British academic, broadcaster, writer and former diplomat and politician. He served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Penrith and The Border between 2010 and 2019, representing the Conservative Party. In 2019, Stewart stood for Leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister following the resignation of Theresa May. wikipedia.org/Rory_Stewart
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