How many in history have manipulated people by keeping them ignorant and then blaming others.
Blindly following people can be very dangerous if you don't have a mind of your own. We can follow people, providing we can judge for ourselves, not because others tell us to judge.
Ignorance can also lead to people judging others. They only see what they see, but they do not know the full story. They start to make their judgement based on their own needs. To what they see what should be right for them.
We should not judge because of our ignorance. When we take the time to understand others, though we might not always agree, we can respect others.
My father once told me:
"Son, it's impossible to love everybody, but at least respect people."
It is something he lived up to. He did not judge, he tried to understand why certain things were the way they were.