Innocence vs Experience

An intresting thought and following on from something someone said about Santa and children in the Santa thread... and whilst doing my A-levels we had to read Blake poetry which consists of songs of Innocence and songs of Experience.

Blake had a lot of views but the ultimate question is would you rather be innocent and not know what you know or would experience be better?

Does experience hinder your innocence?
etc...

Personally, I think growing older is a long process of finding out how little you actually know.
As children we only know a limited amount, and have no knowledge of what is outside our little world. Teenagers know everything. Maybe from then on we gradually find out just how vast the Universe is and how little we understand it.

Totally agree!

You can have experience and still remain innocent.

rune

In what sense?

Definition as follows

1. The state, quality, or virtue of being innocent, as:
a. Freedom from sin, moral wrong, or guilt through lack of knowledge of evil.
b. Guiltlessness of a specific legal crime or offense.
c. Freedom from guile, cunning, or deceit; simplicity or artlessness.
d. Lack of worldliness or sophistication; naiveté.
e. Lack of knowledge or understanding; ignorance.
f. Freedom from harmfulness; inoffensiveness.


C, D AND F can be achieved even with experience.

rune

Experience and Innocence in balanced amounts would be perfect and as you get older that balance begins to happen , I love the experience that has come with my age but never would want to lose the wonder and joy that innocence brings !

Isn`t that the essence of Zen? To experience the world and retain the Child in us?

Probably---I do try! Sometimes it is hard

rune

Oh - if only Blake had thought about that - he was depressing!