Ignorance is.....bliss?

I have developed into a real information junkie! It's amazing how often I turn to the internet while watching tv, or reading an article, and quickly do a search for more details. I honestly can't imagine NOT wanting to know if something is true, especially in our modern age when most information is available at the click of a keyboard. Which brings me to Snopes.com and an interesting pattern I've begun to notice over the last couple of years.

A long time ago I learned about Snopes as an excellent place to verify rumors and urban legends. We've all received them-- shocking stories of 'almost rapes', deals that are absolutely too good to be true, or even pictures that look amazingly real and spectacular.

If the email is sent to me by someone I care about, and seems to have upset or worried them, I'll usually go to Snopes and verify it. Then, I'll email them the results. I'm only trying to ease their mind and let them know that it really IS better to just dial 911 (which works EVERYWHERE) as opposed to trying to reach the Highway Patrol by dialing *77 (which DOESN'T). I certainly want to know the truth! I want to know if those pictures are real, or if that child really is trying to do a good thing and help people.

Turns out, nobody else does. I have never gotten ONE response from someone saying "Oh thank goodness, I'm glad to know that!" It turns out ignorance is bliss. People who forward emails, for whatever reason, in general really don't want to know if it's the truth or not. They feel good for having passed along something they feel is helpful, that might brighten someone's day or warn them of a possible danger. They really don't want to know that it's all a hoax and has been passed around on the internet for a decade.

I don't suppose I'm ever going to get that. If you're like me, and you want to know, check it out! The next time you read something that sounds off, or vaquely familiar, roll on over to Snopes.com and look! You might be surprised at the truth you uncover, and all the folks on your email list will thank you.