I've gotten the impression that many people are proud of their ignorance because they feel that the folks who know a field better can't see the forest from the trees and only use their knowledge to construct elaborate rationalizations.

Well said -- that's about where I am with respect to mainstream macroeconomics, in that the models, metrics, etc. they use are hopelessly disconnected from the issue of "How would this policy allow people to get more of what they actually want?" But I'm not sure if I count as being proud of this ignorance: I'd certainly like to know more, so I can get the best understanding of where (I currently suspect) they go astray.