What we don’t know …

“Learning to ignore things is one of the great paths to inner peace.” ~Robert J. Sawyer

Years ago, an old friend had a humorous expression he’d repeat at exactly the right moments: “What you don’t know, you don’t need to know.”

These days I find myself remembering that phrase more often. In a recent class, for instance, we discussed how some social media users reveal unattractive aspects of themselves in their posts — usually without realizing how silly, self-absorbed, or unhinged they might appear. Before social media, we had fewer opportunities to witness this type of behavior so immediately in our relationships. Today, oversharing is the norm.

It’s one of the reasons I stopped using Facebook a while ago. When I did use it, I often learned a lot about people that I wish I hadn’t — and I probably shared personal information and opinions that should have been kept personal. What you don’t know, you don’t need to know, right? ~CL