Ignorance: Bigotry or Beauty?

"Ignorance of certain subjects is a great part of wisdom."

~Hugo De Groot, Dutch jurist and politician (1583-1645)

A conversation that I had with my aunt has stuck with me for some time. She was telling me about her first kiss: she was at a party when she was 16, and so tired of the derogatory label "sixteen and never been kissed" that she let a boy that she barely knew take that prized possession, that first step in the stages of physical intimacy. Although her experience was about 30 years ago, the catchphrase remains a truism in our culture. Innocence is not valued: gaining experience is. Celebrities are glorified for knowing how to kiss well. The same rings true for relationships: adults and peers encourage us youth to date in high school and beyond in order to obtain maximum relational experience, in preparation for marriage, they assure us. But does having a boyfriend now really benefit my future marriage? Do I need to learn the moves so that my husband will be impressed on the wedding night? Or will he be hurt that I have failed to wait for him, that I have given my heart and body to other men, ostensibly for his benefit of enjoyment? Wouldn't ignorance of this sacred experience in actuality be loving towards him and healthy for a relationship rooted in exclusivity?

Ignorance bears a negative connotation nowadays: an ignorant person is uneducated, arrogant, perhaps even bigoted. But is a person with knowledge of every subject and experience truly wise? In terms of neuroscience, ironically, knowledge of an experience like using methamphetamine effectively destroys brain cells, inhibiting future attempts to learn. In striving for knowledge of everything, we lose the innocence that is an integral part of wisdom.