blindness
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blindness
The medical condition in which a person has completely or almost completely lost the ability to see.
Trotz seiner Blindheit navigiert er mit Hilfe eines Blindenstocks sicher durch die Stadt.
Despite his blindness, he navigates safely through the city with the help of a white cane.
blindness
In a figurative sense, the inability or unwillingness to recognize or acknowledge an obvious truth, a problem, or a particular situation.
Seine politische Blindheit gegenüber den sozialen Problemen im Land ist erschreckend.
His political blindness to the social problems in the country is frightening.
The noun 'Blindheit' (blindness) is derived from the adjective 'blind' (blind). The ending '-heit' is often used in German to form abstract nouns from adjectives that describe a state or quality.
Die Freiheit des Denkens ist ein hohes Gut.
Freedom of thought is a great good.
'Blindheit' (blindness) is an uncountable noun and is almost always used in the singular. It describes the condition as a whole.
Blindheit kann angeboren sein oder durch eine Krankheit verursacht werden.
Blindness can be congenital or caused by a disease.
In a medical context, 'Blindheit' (blindness) is often used with certain verbs and prepositions, for example 'an Blindheit leiden' (to suffer from blindness), 'von Blindheit betroffen sein' (to be affected by blindness), or a disease that 'zur Blindheit führt' (leads to blindness).
Er leidet seit seiner Kindheit an einer Form von Blindheit.
He has suffered from a form of blindness since childhood.
You can often recognize the figurative meaning from an additional adjective (e.g. 'politische Blindheit' (political blindness)) or a preposition that narrows the area of 'Blindheit' (blindness) (e.g. 'Blindheit gegenüber den Fakten' (blindness to the facts)).
Man warf ihm Blindheit gegenüber den Bedürfnissen der Bevölkerung vor.
He was accused of blindness to the needs of the population.
ignorance
Ignoranz and Blindheit can both cause an obvious truth to go unheeded. Ignoranz emphasizes deliberate disregard. In a figurative sense, Blindheit also refers to the inability or unwillingness to recognize or acknowledge something obvious.
Aus Blindheit erkannte er die Gefahr trotz der deutlichen Anzeichen nicht.
He failed to recognize the danger despite the clear signs because of his blindness.
Aus Ignoranz überging er die deutlichen Anzeichen der Gefahr bewusst.
He deliberately ignored the clear signs of danger out of ignorance.
