History Main / IgnoranceIsBliss

[[folder: Western Animation]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTimeFionnaAndCake'' [[spoiler: Simon feels this way about the Ice King. While he hated being stuck as an insane sorcerer for centuries, being left as a FishOutOfTemporalWater in a WorldOfWeirdness has left him longing to become him again, simply because as the Ice King he was just too insane to realize how messed up everything was]].

--> '''Ned''': Science is like spoiling a movie by telling you how it ends. Well I say there are certain things we don't wanna know! Important things!

* ''LetsPlay/DreamSMP'': Ranboo acknowledges this as a major reason why he's unsure about potentially correcting his memory issues.

* Website/NobodyHere: Jogchem states in "[[https://nobodyhere.com/justme/cow.here Cow]]" that he wishes he could be more like the eponymous animal. In the accompanying animation, dragging the mouse around will create bubbles with words such as "I", "self", "soul" and "notion", which pop when coming into contact with the cow.

-->Notice the impact of abstract notions of self-consciousness on a cow. (Also, the bubbles they go 'pop'.)

* Fighter of ''WebComic/EightBitTheater'' is an example of this. The other Light Warriors often get him to do things by convincing him it is for the greater good. There's also the fact that he still believes they're heroes after all the untold damage they've caused.

* ''Fanfic/InfinityTrainKnightOfTheOrangeLily'': Gladion believes that keeping the incident with Nihilego secret was the right thing to do, not wanting her to be retraumatized. Lillie thinks otherwise, as while being unexpectedly exposed to Type: Null ''did'' catapult her back to square one, learning the full truth about what happened that night was ultimately the key to overcoming her trauma.

* In ''Fanfic/ADovahkiinSpreadsHisWings'', Ned Stark thinks that Ignorance equals bliss equals safety, and as such [[LiesToChildren lies to his children]] and willingly keeps quiet about "dangerous" information. Yes, the Stark children grow happy and safe, but the deconstruction hits ''hard'': Sansa is so naive she's easily manipulated by unsavory people such as Cersei Lannister, while Jon lost trust in Ned for not giving him the tools to protect himself and became estranged from him.

-->Her eyes filled with tears and her voice shook as she went on. “I wanted you to lie to me that day,” she said bleakly. “I pleaded with you to tell me I was wrong to hate you, that there was still some good in you...”
* ''Fanfic/TheEyes'': In the final chapter, [[spoiler:Snape Obliviates himself after killing Harry, forgetting everything that had happened throughout the story, and allowing him to live out his life in relative peace]]

** Played for laughs when Carol Danvers and Peter Quill talk about seeing Music/MichaelJackson, Music/{{Prince}} and Music/DavidBowie live while they're on Earth and neither Scott nor Hope have the heart to break it to them that all three stars have passed away.

* ''Fanfic/SonicOriginsRi2'': Shade tells the gang not to tell Gemerl about his past [[spoiler:as the Nocturnus main WeaponOfMassDestruction. It's [[RapePillageAndBurn for the best.]]]]

* In the second season premiere of ''Series/InTheDark'', Murphy is ready to tell [[spoiler: Chloe how her father is a killer]] but after talking to [[spoiler: the girl, she realizes she can't bring herself to ruin her life like this and keeps it quiet.]]

* ''Series/AlteredCarbon'': It turns out that Laurens Bancroft [[spoiler:really did kill himself. He [[DisposableSexWorker murdered a prostitute]] while violently raping her (not just her current body; he smashed her stack too) and caused another one to run away and jump to her death. He felt so ashamed that he shot himself, knowing that he would simply wake up in a new body with no memory of his actions.]]

--> We're the wingmen and there's no better life than this,\\

--> Princess Toadstool, I know you're frightened, mm-mmm,\\

--> "Ignorance may not actually be bliss, but it certainly is less work."

* ''Roleplay/DeepBlueSeaVerse: Vadim spends the entire first motive blissfully unaware that it's even ''happening,'' since his memories keep being erased and he spends his time flirting instead of getting in on the action.

* Played straight with Firewall [[spoiler: and Project Ozma]] in ''TabletopGame/EclipsePhase''. Suppressing knowledge of the Exsurgent virus, asyncs, [[spoiler: [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien the ETI]] and the true nature of the [=TITANs=]]] is considered one of their top priorities, since they don't know if humanity will be able to handle the horrible truth.

* ''VideoGame/CloseYourEyes'' implies this by the storyline and its multiple endings, especially the "Best Ending", where the [[spoiler: V.I.E.W facility self-destructs, killing Cecily, the Witch, and the Husks]] and the subtitle being, [[spoiler: ''"Everyone closed their eyes"'']].

* In his vlogs for ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', Creator/DougWalker defended this trope as, sometimes, if you want to keep surviving and feeling sane, then you have to force yourself to stay in the dark about stuff.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball''

* Somebody learns the truth and regrets it, citing this trope. Or somebody learns the truth, and consequences/the effects it has on them are clearly framed as a bad thing by the narrative

* Used in ''Film/CabinFever'' when the busty brunette [[CoitusEnsues suddenly offers herself to the lone surviving hero.]] She has the killer [[AntagonistTitle fever]], though she isn't showing any signs yet. Midway through sex, the guy tells her he's worried that they aren't using a condom. So the woman assures him that she's perfectly healthy, because by that point, the only thing that telling the truth could do is spoil their fun.

* ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'': Subverted in Taraimawashi-hen, in which Keiichi decided to ignore everything connected with Hinamizawa's secrets and enjoy his life. [[KillEmAll It doesn't end well.]]

** Gerda can't comprehend a world where she can grow up to be something other than a breeding stock or a giant's meal, but that doesn't mean she's upset about it. She does get apologetic when the topic comes up, and wants to understand the world where her new friends come from, but never gets the chance to.

* Discussed in ''Film/{{Stargate}}'', when Carter tries to persuade Colson that the general population is better off not knowing that Earth is constantly under threat of destruction.
-->'''Colson:''' Oh, right. The old "if you had cancer" argument. Would you want to know you're gonna die, or would you rather live out your final days in blissful ignorance?

* ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' In "Freak", Daniel and later Chloe have their memory of Lex's secret lab wiped after being experimented on. After the viewers see the trauma Chloe goes through as Lex's lab rat, it's possibly best for her to forget.

* In ''Theatre/JasperInDeadland'', Agnes believes that Jasper is better off not knowing about [[spoiler:her abusive father]], as Jasper's life is messed up enough as it is.

* ''VisualNovel/BellaTheBarbarianBarmaid'': Aporia is fully aware of the downsides of her [[LotusEaterMachine E'Qo Chambers]], but is planning to make more portable and permanent versions of it, having decided that anyone who would rather live in blissful ignorance for the rest of their lives instead of dealing with harsh reality should be able to choose to.
* ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry: Subverted in Taraimawashi-hen, in which Keiichi decided to ignore everything connected with Hinamizawa's secrets and enjoy his life. [[KillEmAll It doesn't end well.]]

* "The Wingmen" by ''Music/DosGringos'' contains the line:

* "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrlKC60jjSg Ignorance is Bliss]]" by ''Music/{{Jellyfish}}'' has the line for every end of chorus.
--> [[VideoGame/SuperMarioBros Princess Toadstool]], I know you're frightened, mm-mmm,\\
But if you knew just why you're here, your fear would just be heightened. So lets just say...\\

* ''Fanfic/SonicOrigins'': Shade tells the gang not to tell Gemerl about his past [[spoiler:as the Nocturnus main WeaponOfMassDestruction. It's [[RapePillageAndBurn for the best.]]]]

** [[TheDitz Banana Joe]] expresses this philosophy.

* [[TheNarrator Cecil]] of ''Podcast/WelcomeToNightVale'' cheerfully reports the obviously bogus coverup stories concocted by the City Council with little to no indication that he doesn't believe every word. Also, choosing not to question what one is told seems to be the only way to survive living in Night Vale.