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Ignorance


Ignorance

74 quotesVisits: 10,193

Quotations

H.L. MenckenDemocracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.

—  H.L. Mencken, 1880-1956, American columnist & cultural critic

22 likes
Isaac AsimovUncertainty that comes from knowledge (knowing what you don't know) is different from uncertainty coming from ignorance.

—  Isaac Asimov, 1920-1992, American Sci-Fi writer

20 likes
Wolfgang GoetheNothing is more frightful than to see ignorance in action.

—  Wolfgang Goethe, 1749-1832, German poet & philosopher

17 likes
VoltaireDoctors are men who prescribe medicine of which they know little, to cure diseases of which they know less, for human beings of which they know nothing.

—  Voltaire, 1694-1778, French philosopher & writer

13 likes
George Bernard ShawHe knows nothing; and he thinks he knows everything. That points clearly to a political career.

—  George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950, Irish writer, Nobel 1925

13 likes
Charles DarwinIgnorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science.

—  Charles Darwin, 1809-1882, British scientist

12 likes
Will DurantSixty years ago I knew everything. Now I know nothing. Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.

—  Will Durant, 1885-1981, American historian & philosopher

11 likes
Carl SaganWe are like butterflies who flutter for a day and think it is forever.

—  Carl Sagan, 1934-1996, American astronomer

8 likes
Anatole FranceA person is never happy except at the price of some ignorance.

—  Anatole France, 1844-1924, French writer, Nobel 1921

8 likes
Benjamin FranklinThe only thing that is more expensive than education is ignorance.

—  Benjamin Franklin, 1706-1790, American politician & writer

7 likes
Alfred North WhiteheadNot ignorance, but ignorance of ignorance is the death of knowledge.

—  Alfred North Whitehead, 1861-1947, British philosopher & mathematician

7 likes
Dave BarryWe journalists make it a point to know very little about an extremely wide variety of topics; this is how we stay objective.

—  Dave Barry, 1947-, American journalist

7 likes
G. K. ChestertonImpartiality is a pompous name for indifference which is an elegant name for ignorance.

—  G. K. Chesterton, 1874-1936, English writer & critic

6 likes
Carl SaganWe live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology.

—  Carl Sagan, 1934-1996, American astronomer

6 likes
Oliver W. Holmes Sr.Science is the topography of ignorance.

—  Oliver W. Holmes Sr., 1809-1894, American writer

5 likes
Thomas EdisonWe don't know a millionth of one percent about anything.

—  Thomas Edison, 1847-1934, American inventor

5 likes
Sacha GuitryThe little I know, I owe to my ignorance.

—  Sacha Guitry, 1885-1957, French writer

5 likes
Thomas JeffersonHe who knows nothing is closer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors.

—  Thomas Jefferson, 1749-1826, American President [1801-1809]

5 likes
Michel de MontaigneNothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.

—  Michel de Montaigne, 1533-1592, French thinker

4 likes
Arthur ClarkeI’m a scientific expert; that means I know nothing about absolutely everything

—  Arthur Clarke, 1917-2008, British Sci-Fi writer

4 likes
Friedrich von SchlegelEvery uneducated person is a caricature of himself.

—  Friedrich von Schlegel, 1772-1829, German writer

4 likes
Sydney SmithHave the courage to be ignorant of a great number of things, in order to avoid the calamity of being ignorant of everything.

—  Sydney Smith, 1771-1845, British writer & cleric

4 likes
Aleister CrowleyThe ordinary man looking at a mountain is like an illiterate person confronted with a Greek manuscript.

—  Aleister Crowley, 1875-1945, British magician & occultist,

4 likes
Dr. Thomas FullerZeal without knowledge is fire without light.

—  Dr. Thomas Fuller, 1654-1734,  English physician and adage collector

4 likes
Mignon McLaughlinIt's innocence when it charms us, ignorance when it doesn't.

—  Mignon McLaughlin, 1913-1983, American magazine editor

3 likes
Calvin CoolidgeIt is characteristic of the unlearned that they are forever proposing something which is old, and because it has recently come to their own attention, supposing it to be new.

—  Calvin Coolidge, 1872-1933, American President [1923-1929]

3 likes
ConfuciusIgnorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon or star.

—  Confucius, 551-479 BC, Chinese teacher & philosopher

3 likes
Lyndon JohnsonBooks and ideas are the most effective weapons against intolerance and ignorance.

—  Lyndon Johnson, 1908-1973, American President [1963-1969]

3 likes
Arthur ClarkeIt was the mark of a barbarian to destroy something one could not understand.

—  Arthur Clarke, 1917-2008, British Sci-Fi writer

3 likes
Robert BenchleyI have tried to know absolutely nothing about a great many things, and I have succeeded fairly well.

—  Robert Benchley, 1889-1945, American columnist

3 likes
Ralph Waldo EmersonThere are many things of which a wise man might wish to be ignorant.

—  Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803-1884, American philosopher

2 likes
William ShakespeareBut, for my own part, it was Greek to me.

—  William Shakespeare, 1564-1616, English poet & playwright ‐ Julius Caesar

2 likes
Giordano BrunoIf the butterfly wings its way to the sweet light that attracts it, it's only because it doesn't know that the fire can consume it.

—  Giordano Bruno, 1548-1600, Italian monk & philosopher

Bertrand RussellMen are born ignorant, not stupid. They are made stupid by education.

—  Bertrand Russell, 1872-1970, British philosopher

Nicolas Gomez DavilaThere is an illiteracy of the soul which no diploma cures.

—  Nicolas Gomez Davila, 1913-1994, Colombian writer

Thomas SowellIt is usually futile to try to talk facts and analysis to people who are enjoying a sense of moral superiority in their ignorance.

—  Thomas Sowell, 1930 -, American political thinker

Thomas SowellIt takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of our own ignorance.

—  Thomas Sowell, 1930 -, American political thinker

Simone De BeauvoirPeople seem to think that if you keep your head empty you automatically fill your balls.

—  Simone De Beauvoir, 1908-1986, French writer

Gustave FlaubertOur ignorance of history causes us to slander our own times.

—  Gustave Flaubert, 1821-1880, French writer

Honoré de BalzacEvery moment of happiness requires a great amount of Ignorance.

—  Honoré de Balzac, 1799-1850, French writer

Graham GreeneHe was impregnably armored by his good intentions and his ignorance.

—  Graham Greene, 1904-1991, British writer

Coco ChanelThere goes a woman who knows all the things that can be taught and none of the things that cannot be taught.

—  Coco Chanel, 1883-1971, French fashion designer

William Hazlitt The origin of all science is in the desire to know causes; and the origin of all false science and imposture is in the desire to accept false causes rather than none; or, which is the same thing, in the unwillingness to acknowledge our own ignorance.

—  William Hazlitt , 1778-1830, English essayist & critic

Terry PratchettThey say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it's not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.

—  Terry Pratchett, 1948-2015, British writer

Donald RumsfeldLearn to say “I don't know”. If used when appropriate, it will be often.

—  Donald Rumsfeld, American politician

ChanakyaThe life of an uneducated man is as useless as the tail of a dog which neither covers its rear end, nor protects it from the bites of insects.

—  Chanakya, 370-280 π.X., Indian teacher & philosopher

Noam ChomskyHow it is we have so much information, but know so little?

—  Noam Chomsky, 1928-, American linguist, philosopher, social activist

Noam ChomskyEducation is a system of imposed ignorance.

—  Noam Chomsky, 1928-, American linguist, philosopher, social activist

Marshall McLuhanThe ignorance of how to use knowledge stockpiles exponentially.

—  Marshall McLuhan, 1911-1980, Canadian academic & media theorist

Henry KissingerTo be absolutely certain about something, one must know everything or nothing about it.

—  Henry Kissinger, 1923-2023, American politician

André FrossardIgnorance, if carefully maintained, has at least the advantage of protecting the beneficiary from errors.

—  André Frossard, 1915-1995, French politician & essayist

Henry MillerIn expanding the field of knowledge we but increase the horizon of ignorance.

—  Henry Miller, 1891-1980, American writer

Sydney SmithWhat you don't know would make a great book.

—  Sydney Smith, 1771-1845, British writer & cleric

Nikola TeslaOf all the frictional resistances, the one that most retards human movement is ignorance.

—  Nikola Tesla, 1856-1943, Serbian-American inventor

Saul BellowA great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep.

—  Saul Bellow, 1914-2005, Canadian-American writer, Nobel 1976

Frank A. ClarkThe reason there’s so much ignorance is that those who have it are so eager to share it.

—  Frank A. Clark, 1911-1991, American cartoonist

François RabelaisHalf the world does not know how the other half lives.

—  François Rabelais, 1484-1553, French writer

Joseph ConradIt’s extraordinary how we go through life with eyes half shut, with dull ears, with dormant thoughts. Perhaps it’s just as well; and it may be that it is this very dullness that makes life to the incalculable majority so supportable and so welcome.

—  Joseph Conrad, 1857-1924, British-Polish writer

Latin Quotes

TacitusEverything unknown seems magnificent.

Omne ignotum pro magnifico.

—  Tacitus, 55-120 AD, Roman historian

81 likes

Ancient Greek

SocratesThere is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance.

Εν μόνον αγαθόν είναι, την επιστήμην, και εν μόνον κακόν, την αμαθίαν.

—  Socrates, 469-399 BC, Ancient Geek Philosopher

106 likes
SocratesI know that I know nothing.

Εν οίδα ότι ουδέν οίδα.

—  Socrates, 469-399 BC, Ancient Geek Philosopher

     ( the “Socratic paradox”; from a Latin quote which was a paraphrase of a Plato’s line and not a real saying by Socrates)

58 likes
DemocritusWe know nothing for sure. Because the truth is hidden in the deep.

Ετεή δε ουδέν ίδμεν. Εν βυθώ γαρ η αλήθεια.

—  Democritus, 470-370 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

22 likes
ThucydidesIgnorance is bold, knowledge is reserved.

Αμαθία μεν θράσος, λογισμός δε όκνον φέρει.

—  Thucydides, 460-394 BC, Ancient Greek historian

11 likes
AesopThe “I don’t know” will not put me in prison.

Το ουκ οίδα εις φυλακήν ου βάλλει.

—  Aesop, 620-560 BC, Ancient Greek fabulist

7 likes
PlatoWisdom is the best of all things, ignorance is the worst.

Σοφία πάντων κάλλιστον, η δε αμάθεια πάντων κάκιστον.

—  Plato, 427-347 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

7 likes
Let no one untrained in geometry enter.

Αγεωμέτρητος μηδείς εισίτω.

—  Motto over the entrance to Plato's Academy

6 likes
DemocritusThe cause of error is ignorance of what is better.

Αμαρτίης αιτίη η αμαθίη του κρέσσονος.

—  Democritus, 470-370 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

5 likes
HeraclitusIt is better to conceal ignorance than to expose it.

Κρύπτειν αμαθίην κρέσσον, ή ες το μέσον φέρειν.

—  Heraclitus, 544-484 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

5 likes
DemocritusNow, we do not know really what is and what is not.

Ετεή μεν νυν ότι οίον έκαστον εστιν ή ούκ έστιν ού συνίεμεν.

—  Democritus, 470-370 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

4 likes
DemocritusDemocritus said that the noble, uneducated people are like alabaster vases filled with vinegar.

Δημόκριτος τους ευπρεπείς και απαιδεύτους ομοίους είπεν είναι αλαβάστρω γέμοντι όξος.

—  Democritus, 470-370 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

4 likes
EuripidesYou know not why you live, or what you do, or who you are.

Ουκ οίσθ’ ό,τι ζης, ουδ’ ό δρας, ουδ’ όστις εί.

—  Euripides, 480-406 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Bacchae

2 likes
EuripidesIgnorance has some kind of sweetness.

Το μη ειδέναι γαρ ηδονήν έχει τινά.

—  Euripides, 480-406 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Antiope

2 likes

Proverbs

English proverbWhat you don’t know won’t hurt you.

—  English proverb

4 likes

Special Quotes

Don’t die of ignorance.

—  Slogan of the British health awareness campaign against AIDS, 1987

2 likes



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