What is the term for someone who doesn't want to know?

Question

I am looking for a term for someone who is purposefully not learning information - usually bad information. Goes hand in hand with people who want to "hide their head in the sand" or have the "wool pulled over their eyes"

@Yohann V. 'The expression' seems to imply that that's the only variant used, but there are more Google hits for "hide his head in the sand" than for "bury his head in the sand". — Edwin Ashworth, Mar 26 '15 at 14:37
Are you looking for a noun phrase, as that's the impression I get from your phrasing? — Edwin Ashworth, Mar 26 '15 at 14:41
@EdwinAshworth Haven't check google, by a little birdie told me... :'( — Yohann V., Mar 26 '15 at 14:51
@Yohann V. 'A little birdie' is a very poor authority for saying something as critical as 'The expression is bury one's head in the sand'. — Edwin Ashworth, Mar 26 '15 at 14:56
@EdwinAshworth I should have moderated my sentence, sorry about this. — Yohann V., Mar 26 '15 at 14:58

score 4 · Answer 1 · answered Mar 26 '15 at 14:39

4

Nothing wrong with the other answers, but if you are looking for something more formal and/or legal, the term is "wilfully ignorant".

answered Mar 26 '15 at 14:39

DJClayworth

25,795

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Dang it, I knew I shoulda hit the post button faster. :-) You beat me by 11 seconds. – Hellion Mar 26 '15 at 14:40

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 26 '15 at 14:24

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More like they don't want to "see" reality, i.e., the "grungier" aspects of life - there is the expression:

"He/She looks at the world through rose-colored glasses."

answered Mar 26 '15 at 14:24

Oldbag

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Yohann V. · Answer 3 · 2015-03-26T14:44:18.737

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There is :

sweep problem under the carpet

Fig. to hide or ignore something. "You made a mistake that you can't sweep under the carpet."

If this person is refusing to learn the information because he is running away from this reality and his problems?

So maybe :

yellow-bellied or coward

edited Mar 26 '15 at 14:44

answered Mar 26 '15 at 14:37

Yohann V.

1,615

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Mar 26 '15 at 15:32

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I think the legal form of this is called plausible deniability.

You could also say that someone would want to remain oblivious.

answered Mar 26 '15 at 15:32

SUM GUY

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"Plausible deniability" is where you know something, but nobody can prove you know it. – DJClayworth Mar 26 '15 at 15:54
Touche. I am not an attorney, but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn express last night. – SUM GUY Mar 26 '15 at 16:31

What is the term for someone who doesn't want to know?

4 Answers4

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