Perhaps ignorance, especially the self-imposed kind, should be classified as the mental illness it is; HISS, or Head In Sand Syndrome. Rather than accepting it as just another “choice” of adhering to some set of unsubstantiated misconceptions, “alternative facts” or no facts at all, it should be called out for the dangerously destructive dysfunction it is.

Like addiction disease, it is self-reinforcing its own need to be fed, and is not only destructive to the individual but to everyone around them, affecting the overall health of society as well.

The cure is for individuals to seek out the best information on important subjects and issues from qualified sources. Those would be people with proven expertise and credibility in those areas, with advanced degrees in those fields, having actually worked in those fields, held significant positions involved in those fields, etc. This just might be better and shed more light on subjects than talk show hosts, conspiracy theorists on the internet, questionable “news” sources one would think, yes?

Ah there’s the rub. It requires one to think – think for themselves, again – and formulate opinions based on making the effort to get the best information. Good information is out there, maybe seldom perfect, but there are plenty of sources who have no agenda but to report substantiated information – facts. Yes, there still is such a thing as facts and truth, don’t let anyone tell you they don’t exist anymore, which I have actually heard people say. That is a dangerous propaganda tact of autocratic governments to control a disenfranchised population, brilliantly portrayed in George Orwell’s book, “1984.”

To kick the habit, those afflicted with HISS should slowly wean off bad sources of info and take small doses of better ones, despite being out of their present comfort zone.