Ignorance and innocence are perceived by many as almost synonymous as the old saying: "ignorance is bliss" which is a great indicator that most of us didn't found yet a way to be happy or contempt without being ignorant.
To be very clear the meaning of the word innocence according to the dictionary is: the quality or state of being innocent; freedom from sin or moral wrong.
As we start life as children we are by nature ignorant because we don't have any experience, we are unaware of the majority of the dangers that potentially could happen to anybody nondiscriminatory and relatively free of mistakes and "sins".
As we mature and we learn more about the world our ignorance goes away and with it so dose our innocence. I think beside all the other traumas and stress this is one of the reason why young people have a higher desire to take drugs, party extensively, have a lot of meaningless sex without commitment etc.
They are literally going through a crisis, it is like a fall from grace. Where for years you enjoyed a state of innocence as a gift from nature now you are starting to realize the true nature of the world which can be a little stressful to say at least.
Escapism is an attempt to return back to ignorance, only that since you know something you can't unknow it. So in order for you to have any degree of peace you need a constant distraction from reality. This is the purpose that drugs, sex, movies, the internet etc. play.
From a psychological perspective you are not an adult until you don't move from a state of innocence through ignorance to a state of bliss. Which is the capacity to be happy and feel contempt without being ignorant.
There is a process of grief that needs to take place whit any major loss, especially with the loss of your innocence, but also it is necessary to learn other strategies to be care free as it is impossible to return back. When you realize that it is impossible to return back, which is what escapism is, an attempt to go back to a state of ignorance, there is nowhere to go then forward which is the end of the process of grief when you accept reality for what it is.
Because it is impossible to become ignorant after you acquire knowledge about certain things, now you have to learn to be happy and contempt while simultaneously having that knowledge.
Pleasure without purpose is hell on earth, the classic archetype of the contract with the devil is a trade of your soul which is necessary to achieve happiness and love for pleasure. Indulging in this types of activities is not living your life fully as much is being in a zombie like state. Where instead of living fully you are trying to run away from life.
For adults happiness comes from self discipline, from the process of mastery, by learning to transcend your limitations and constantly move forward no matter what life throws at you.
