Innocence

I have heard many speak of a loss they have suffered.  I do believe that many actually perceive a loss.  However, I do believe that those that lament the passage of innocence are mistaken.

We were ignorant when we first drew breath.  We were ignorant in our youth.  We were ignorant in our adolescence.  There may have been joy in these periods.  I hope very much that these years were filled with joy.  I believe we are born with few instincts.  I believe that for better or worse we are a product of our education.  Totally disconnected from the society at large a child would not survive long.  As we grow and learn from our peers, our elders, and other members of our social groups we become more able to deal with outside forces.

We learn.  We grow.  We become stronger.  We become better.  Now obviously this is not always the case.  By and large, however, as we gain knowledge, we improve.  We leave our ignorance behind.

I am not implying that innocence and ignorance are one in the same.  However, they are connected.  Innocence does not indicate without knowledge but rather without corruption.  Knowledge can often lead to corruption.  We often consider the two more related than they actually are.  We unfortunately teach many children that they are more related than they actually are.

We also teach an equivalency between corruption and a number of other things, most notably sexuality.  I feel we should move away from these destructive equivalencies, but I have written of that before and won't repeat myself at this time.  Instead, I will put forward that the innocence of our youth is a lack of knowledge of corruption.  I do not think this is any true measure of innocence.  If you do not know an act will cause others harm when you first perform the act, you are technically innocent.  It is only after this act, however, that innocence is a useful measure.

I do know of corruption.  I cannot claim I am totally free of it.  I have no interest in being so.  It is my knowledge of corruption that informs my morality.  My past departures from "innocence" have become part of who I am.  The knowledge I gained made me a better person. 

Morality is of no use without temptation.  Innocence that only exists due to ignorance has no value.  I am glad that I shed my "innocence".  It gave me the opportunity to be human.