"Ignorance is bliss". This is an age old adage which needs no introduction. This is used by many people in supporting of not knowing things, usually in situations where reality is disturbing and discomforting. If a fact is bound to cause a lot of trouble, this probably might be correct. But is it valid as a general truth? Ignorance is absence of knowledge. So this statement means not trying to know too much and staying comfortable as much as we can. This is fraught with serious dangers. Knowledge is one of the highest virtues as recognized by philosophers of all time. It is an essential ingredient for knowing truth, lack of understanding of which will push us to into bad actions and bad thoughts. Let us see what this means in various dimensions. Nothing is a greater threat to political organization of a country than political ignorance of its citizens. Democracy, especial...