Ignorance is bliss, or knowledge is power?

I agree and disagree with both.

Neither are guarantees. Ignorance can be hell. It can mean not knowing how to earn money, how to feed yourself or your family, how to get out of the trouble you're in, how to cure an illness, how to help someone you care about etc.

Knowledge can also be redundant. The right knowledge, applied in the right way, is power. Irrelevant knowledge, applicable to nothing, is not. Also, even with the 'right' knowledge, you may never have the means to apply it. I suppose knowledge is power like electricity is power - it has to be harnessed and channeled correctly for it to be advantageous.

As RoseIsabella said, the more consistently true of the statements is the second. The first is often false.

Money is true power, ignorance is an illusion of bliss (true bliss is what you make of it, i.e. your life can be hell, but if you're happy for such reason as like family/lover, well you're happy, not saying that's a good reason to be happy), and knowledge is an evident technique in requiring power. Nice metaphors with deep meaning, most interesting post of today. I liked it.

Molotov cocktails are bliss and knowledge and power. Why is it that I don't see an option for Molotov cocktails? Could it be that you didn't put one??!
*brandishes Molotov cocktail menacingly

Knowledge becomes ignorance, wrapped up in a bow of bliss.

Ignorance is bliss, yes! Why do you think babies are so easily amused and happy all the time. No, but seriously, I think I'd be much happier if I'd never learned some things. At the same time though I'm kinda glad I know those things, because I wouldn't wanna be ignorant. Ignorant people suck. They're happy, but they suck.

On the other hand, knowlegde is not power. It doesn't mean anything if you don't have the resources to use it. I have the knowledge to clone you (or myself, or your cat), but if I don't have the equipment needed, it's just useless information taking up space in my brain.

If ignorance is bliss, you can keep your paradise.

I think ignorance is not a bliss, it could be at best an illusion of bliss, and knowledge can mean power, although I don't think power should be a worthy reason to obtain knowledge. So I'd say I agree "more" with the second one, but knowledge goes far beyond being powerful among others.

There are some things I'd rather be ignorant about, but most things I'd rather have knowledge of. The other comments have covered most of my thoughts though.

ignorance is bliss growing up

knowledge is power when you're older

Both statements are true. Ignorance is bliss but only until you lose your innocence and see the truth for what it is. Knowledge is power unless of course the so called knowledgeable person chooses not to use that knowledge or live in a state of denial.

In my humble opinion the truer of the two statements is "knowledge is power." But either way the more you learn the less you know.