The Willfully Ignorant

Specimen: Your old college roommate who probably could have cured cancer, developed independent energy solutions, or at least landed a part-time job, if he hadn’t devoted himself fully to Halo 2.
Scientific Name: Ignorami Purposo
Habitat: Throughout suburban America, occasionally rural.
Diet: Handed silver platters, but eat instead from the dog bowl.


Notable for what is otherwise a fully-functional mind and body, this breed is particularly horrible because there is nothing actually wrong with them. As the name suggests, they are ignorant not due to psychological or socio-economic disadvantages, but purely through their own doing. They are typically middle- to upper-class, which provides them an environment to thrive without ever having to develop themselves, mentally or physically. This leads them to assume that everyone else has also been afforded the same, hence the source of their condition. A major side-effect of this condition is the steadfast belief that there is nothing wrong with the world, as demonstrated here:

Despite the fact that they are fully capable of succeeding at any number of endeavors, any one of which might be put to use by someone, somewhere, to benefit something in some way, they lower every bar for themselves, and end up as nothing but a shallow husk of wasted potential. These are among a number of breeds unable to speak, read, or write in their own first language. They can be found spelling things incorrectly on purpose, text messaging, and feigning faux urban or Japanese slang in order to blend in with their surroundings. In the words of Dr. Henry Jones, Sr., these “goose-stepping Nazis should try reading books instead of burning them.”

The willfully ignorant are not to be confused with the spoiled brats, who are often found in the same environment, and behave similarly, but are more likely to take advantage of their silver platter, rather than opting for the dog bowl. Make no mistake, the willfully ignorant are, without doubt, the Worst People in the World.