Final answer:
The relationship between intelligence and happiness is complex, with both having advantages and disadvantages in terms of wellbeing. Intelligence allows for adaptability and problem-solving, while ignorance might provide temporary bliss by shielding one from worries. Informed desires are key to true happiness, indicating a significant role for knowledge.
Step-by-step explanation:
Investigating the relationship between intelligence and happiness can be complex. Intelligence does have its advantages, allowing organisms to find resources, evade dangers, and adapt to new situations, as seen in various species such as octopuses, ravens, dolphins, and apes. However, intelligence is not the only sort of advantage, and it can be challenged by other factors in nature, as noted by the statement 'intelligence can easily lose to tooth and claw, or even mindless microscopic threats.'
The philosopher Socrates argues that harm is a product of ignorance, suggesting that not directly intending to cause harm does not excuse the negative outcomes of one's actions. Similarly, Indian philosophers associate harm or suffering with attachment and ignorance toward temporary things, advocating for enlightenment to overcome these pitfalls. This notion aligns with the idea that being unaware of the full scope of one's desires, as highlighted in satisfactionism, can lead to unhappiness through the pursuit of uninformed goals.
As for the question 'Is ignorance bliss?', it might be more accurate to consider that both ignorance and knowledge have their places in the experience of happiness. Ignorance may spare someone from certain worries or stresses, potentially leading to a form of bliss, whereas individuals with more knowledge might struggle with the weight of understanding complex and often distressing realities. Nonetheless, the satisfaction of informed desires is considered crucial for true happiness, suggesting that knowledge plays a pivotal role.
Lastly, it is important to acknowledge the social and environmental impacts on measures of intelligence, such as socioeconomic status and the presence of daily stressors, which can affect brain functioning and development. Thus, intelligence and happiness are multifaceted concepts influenced by a myriad of factors, both internal and external.