One of the greatest joys known to man is to take a flight into

Hear now the words of Robert Staughton Lynd, who spoke with clarity and wonder: “One of the greatest joys known to man is to take a flight into ignorance in search of knowledge.” These words unveil a truth as old as humanity itself—that the spirit of man is not content with what it already knows, but longs to soar beyond the borders of certainty into the wide unknown. For it is not in the comfort of answers but in the daring pursuit of questions that the heart finds its noblest joy.

What is this flight into ignorance? It is the act of stepping from the solid ground of what we understand into the clouds of mystery, unafraid of confusion, unafraid of error. It is the leap of the soul that says, “I do not know, but I wish to know.” To confess ignorance is no shame, but rather the beginning of wisdom. Just as the sailor leaves the safety of the harbor to discover new worlds, so too does the seeker of truth leave behind the prison of certainty to embrace the vastness of discovery.

The ancients themselves lived by this creed. Recall the philosopher Socrates, who declared, “I know that I know nothing.” By this humble confession, he did not sink into despair, but instead rose into an unending quest for knowledge. His questions shook Athens, his dialogues opened minds, and though he drank the hemlock, his legacy has never died. In him we see that the courage to admit ignorance is the very spark that ignites the fire of wisdom.

History offers us yet more examples. Think of Christopher Columbus, who dared to cross the ocean into lands unknown. His maps were uncertain, his knowledge incomplete, his risks immeasurable. Yet it was precisely this leap into the uncharted that revealed to Europe the existence of worlds beyond imagination. Though his journeys carried both triumph and tragedy, they embody the essence of Lynd’s words: that to seek the new, one must first accept the darkness of not knowing.

The meaning of the quote is thus revealed: true joy lies not in hoarding what we already possess, but in daring to stretch beyond it. The mind stagnates when it refuses to venture past the familiar. But when we embrace the unknown, we awaken our deepest capacities for wonder, creativity, and growth. To live without such flight is to live half-asleep; to embrace it is to live fully, breathing the rare air of discovery.

The lesson is clear: do not fear ignorance, but treat it as a companion on the road to understanding. Do not hide from the questions that trouble you, nor from the mysteries that overwhelm you. Instead, let them beckon you forward, as stars beckon the traveler at night. Every unanswered question is a door; every act of curiosity, a step through it.

And what actions must you take? Begin by cultivating the habit of asking “why.” Read not only to affirm what you know, but to challenge it. Venture into subjects strange to you, and dare to appear foolish for the sake of learning. Speak with those unlike yourself, for each mind carries treasures unknown to you. Above all, keep alive the flame of wonder, for it is wonder that fuels the flight into ignorance, and wonder that transforms ignorance into knowledge.

Thus, let Lynd’s words echo across the ages: the greatest joys of mankind are not in safety, nor in certainty, but in the bold journey from darkness into light. Embrace the unknown, take the flight, and you shall find that ignorance is not a prison, but the wide-open sky from which wisdom is born.