Can knowing less make you happier?

Shayla Love, science journalist and fan of Your Mileage May Vary, delves into readers' questions about how much to know in this column. She shares her own struggle with information overload, tracking steps, online time, calories, and sleep, even looking up Senate race odds in a state where she doesn't live. The author questions what she should know less about, pondering whether ignorance can lead to happiness.

The author admits to being a "know-it-all" and initially rejected the idea that ignorance could be bliss. However, learning about "deliberate ignorance" helps her understand the implications of this approach. Psychiatrist Ralph Hertwig and lawyer Christoph Engel studied the opening of East Germany's secret police archives in the early 1990s.

Many chose not to look at their files, even though they could access information about possible surveillance by friends, family, teachers, or lovers. This goes against the notion that all men naturally desire knowledge.

Psychologist George Miller described humans as informavores, constantly seeking out and consuming information. However, the author finds it surprising that people sometimes intentionally avoid information. Hertwig and Engel note that deliberate ignorance is common, with people avoiding bank statements, doctor's appointments, and spoilers. Even Nobel Laureates like James Watson have chosen not to know about their genetic risk for Alzheimer's.

People choose not to know for various reasons, with the most common being that ignorance can help regulate negative emotions. Deliberate ignorance can minimize negative feelings by avoiding potential harm caused by unpleasant knowledge. For instance, many people would rather not know if their partner had ever thought about cheating on them.

Deliberate ignorance can also protect individuals from their biases and unwanted information, as seen in blinded studies and blind auditions for orchestras. However, deliberate ignorance can be problematic when it leads to harm to oneself or others, such as failing to gather basic health information.

In conclusion, the author encourages readers to be deliberate about what information they choose to seek out, acknowledging that ignorance can sometimes be bliss. She suggests asking oneself how the information would make them feel before pursuing it, ensuring that the information doesn't cause harm to themselves or others.