It is as good to be in the dark as without light.

Taken literally, the proverb treats darkness and the absence of light as the same practical problem: either way, a person cannot see what is ahead.

Figuratively, it suggests that a person gains no real advantage from a situation if they still lack the knowledge or guidance needed to make sense of it.

Use it when someone is expected to understand a situation or choose a course of action but lacks the information needed to do so. It emphasizes the practical effect of that lack rather than a fine distinction between circumstances.