Sign InMy Account

Intentional Ignorance

Posted By: Randy GageApril 23, 2019

The cliché says, “Knowledge is power.” But if you’re a student of self-development, you know knowledge offers only the potential and possibility of power.  The power comes from learning something, discovering the insights it holds, and then taking action to apply the lesson.

Thus the continuous search for knowledge is a rewarding and fruitful path to follow.  But there are times when knowledge can hold you back.  Times in which you mindfully choose not to know something.  I have titled this tendency “intentional ignorance.”

Intentional ignorance can be mildly undesirable, or it can cause harmful and lasting mistakes.  Take a look at some examples:

  • The dieter who believes, “It’s birthday cake, so the calories don’t count.”
  • The Trump supporter who justifies when the president mocks a disabled person, attacks a private citizen, or demonizes a minority group with the logic: “He’s just not a typical, politically correct politician.  We need to shake up Washington anyway.”
  • The alcoholics who tells themselves, “It’s just one drink.”

You know in your heart of hearts that what you believe isn’t actually true.  But sometimes we foster delusions and self-denials anyway, because it allows us to escape from realities we don’t want to admit about ourselves.

But other times, intentional ignorance can be helpful, liberating, or even necessary.  And this is the kind of intentional ignorance every artist, entrepreneur, and visionary must possess...

If you dissect the breakthrough disruptions that companies like PayPal, Uber and Amazon created, ignorance played a large factor in their success. The founders of all three of these ventures were quite naive about the industries they were disrupting.  It was this ignorance gave them an edge.

If you want to support yourself and have a life centered around painting, sculpting, dance or another artistic endeavor, the odds against you are about a billion to one.  If you’re starting a new restaurant, service business, or software company, the reality is that 80 percent of those businesses will be out of business within the first two years, and 80 percent of the 20 percent will be gone by the end of five.

That’s when you need intentional ignorance...

You have to discount the percentages, ignore the forecasts, and forget the odds.  You have to have the guts, balls, courage, foolishness and intentional ignorance, to believe you will be different.  It doesn’t always work.  But if you don’t try, it always fails.

-RG

4 comments on “Intentional Ignorance”

  1. I wouldn’t say intentional ignorance exists as such. It’s still Close minded “ignorance is bliss” choose not to care, read or even write anything. It’s all about Cliques, vegan, climate change Fears, Putin and the collusion bunch of the DNC. It’s a clique based mentality. Everyone wants to join one, however not everyone knows a damn thing about the clique they entered.

  2. "when the president mocks a disabled person" Listen, I hate that guy, but it is debunked long ago. He uses the same hand gestures all the time, talking about anything.

    Ignoring limiting beliefs is actually knowing that they are wrong. When I smashed my finger, the doctor said I have 1% chance to avoid cutting down the whole. He said I can get an infection, which can cost my life if it reaches my heart. I said I trust in my 1%. Surprise! I kept my finger. He said he practice for 30 years, but he never seen anything like that. Good for you doc!

    Since all of your power comes from your mind and soul, you should trust more in them than anything else, because they are changing the reality.

  3. Thinking about weight loss, the majority of people are over weight. Out of the ones who lose weight, many regain it.
    Knowing this, set yourself up for the best chances on being one of the ones who lose weight and maintain a healthy weight the rest of your life.

  4. I love the way you offer a new way to look at things! I appreciate your perspective. I'm wondering how long it is going to take for me to be ok with being different? As a fairly new entrepreneur, this mindset shift is posing a challenge for me. I don't have any struggles being different when it comes to most things. But when it comes to asking someone to enroll...OMG!!!

Leave a Reply to Stephanie Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


Warning: Undefined variable $key in /nas/content/live/randygagedev/wp-content/plugins/honeypot-comments/honeypot-comments.php on line 63

  • Stay Connected

    Subscribe to Randy’s Blog via Email

  • Recent Posts

  • 4 comments on “Intentional Ignorance”

    1. I wouldn’t say intentional ignorance exists as such. It’s still Close minded “ignorance is bliss” choose not to care, read or even write anything. It’s all about Cliques, vegan, climate change Fears, Putin and the collusion bunch of the DNC. It’s a clique based mentality. Everyone wants to join one, however not everyone knows a damn thing about the clique they entered.

    2. "when the president mocks a disabled person" Listen, I hate that guy, but it is debunked long ago. He uses the same hand gestures all the time, talking about anything.

      Ignoring limiting beliefs is actually knowing that they are wrong. When I smashed my finger, the doctor said I have 1% chance to avoid cutting down the whole. He said I can get an infection, which can cost my life if it reaches my heart. I said I trust in my 1%. Surprise! I kept my finger. He said he practice for 30 years, but he never seen anything like that. Good for you doc!

      Since all of your power comes from your mind and soul, you should trust more in them than anything else, because they are changing the reality.

    3. Thinking about weight loss, the majority of people are over weight. Out of the ones who lose weight, many regain it.
      Knowing this, set yourself up for the best chances on being one of the ones who lose weight and maintain a healthy weight the rest of your life.

    4. I love the way you offer a new way to look at things! I appreciate your perspective. I'm wondering how long it is going to take for me to be ok with being different? As a fairly new entrepreneur, this mindset shift is posing a challenge for me. I don't have any struggles being different when it comes to most things. But when it comes to asking someone to enroll...OMG!!!

    Leave a Reply to Stephanie Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


    Warning: Undefined variable $key in /nas/content/live/randygagedev/wp-content/plugins/honeypot-comments/honeypot-comments.php on line 63

    © MMXXIII Prosperity Factory, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Legal Information, Sitemap, Site by PrimeConcepts