This paragraph (imo) exemplifies all that "ignorance is bliss" stands for. Wu Wei. "The more knowledge there is of palings, pitfalls, rabbit nets, and gins, the more the animals in the marshes are thrown into confusion. The more varieties of cunning, deception, slipperiness, talk of "hard and white," prevarication, claims of "identical" and "different" there are, the more the common people will be deluded by disputation. Therefore, whenever all under heaven is in great confusion, the fault lies in fondness of knowledge. Thus, all men under heaven know how to seek what they do not know, but no one knows how to seek what he already knows. All men know how to condemn what they consider to be bad, but no one knows how to condemn what they consider to be good, and so there is great confusion. Thus, they rebel against the brightness of the sun and moon above, consume the essence of the mountains and rivers below, and disrupt the procession of the four seasons in between. From wriggling insects to the tiniest flying creatures, there are none that would not lose their natures. Great, indeed, is the confusion that is brought to all under heaven from fondness for knowledge! From the Three Dynasties on down, so it has been. The plain people are neglected, while the fussing flatterers find favor. The placidity of nonaction is rejected, while garrulously expressed ideas find favor. It is this garrulousness that has brought confusion to all under heaven." - Chuang Tzu (Ransacking Coffers).