When is ignorance bliss? I tell people I’ve given up watching the news and people give me a “tsk tsk, now you’re ignorant”.
My main problem is that I can’t know everything. There is an opportunity cost on the time it takes to learn. Is it better to spend that time watching the news, or spend it reading wikipedia? I’d say wikipedia. I’d much rather learn about an underwater cave snail that has a transparent shell, than an underwater cave snail that’s surfaced and running for office. I tell ya, if there’s anything that makes scum float to the surface, it’s politics.
In general, ignorance isn’t bliss. The truth is worth knowing, even if it causes displeasure or discomfort. In the long term, it will probably bring pleasure.
The worth of learning information depends on how actionable it is. I recently learned about shaving with a disposable razor without shaving cream. Given this new information, I experimented, found favorable results, and changed my behavior accordingly. I don’t get that from watching the news. There’s nothing in the news that has any impact on my life. It’s all trivia to me. Nothing will change for me if our president is a criminal or a sexist bigot. I don’t really care. In that case, ignorance is bliss.