Quotes about knowledge
236 quotes from 164 people
Heraclitus535–470 BCFragment 97
Ludwig Wittgenstein1889–1951Philosophical Occasions 1912-1951 (1993), Ch. 7: Remarks on Frazer’s Golden Bough, p. 123
George Santayana1863–1952The Sense of Beauty (1896), Pt. III, Form; § 30: “The average modified in the direction of pleasure.”, p. 125
Bruce Lee1940–1973Striking Thoughts (2000), p. 46- LLaozi580–501 BCTao Te Ching, Ch. 56
Ignoring isn’t the same as ignorance, you have to work at it.
Margaret Atwoodborn 1939The Handmaid’s Tale (1985), Chapter 10 (p. 56)The highest knowledge is to know that we are surrounded by mystery.
Albert Schweitzer1875–1965The Spiritual Life (1947), p. 102There is but one coward on earth, and that is the coward that dare not know.
W. E. B. Du Bois1868–1963The Study of the Negro Problems, paragraph 51, in The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, vol. XI (January 1898)I honestly beleave it iz better tew know nothing than two know what ain’t so.
Josh Billings1818–1885“Sollum Thoughts”. in Everybody’s Friend: Josh Billing’s Encyclopedia & Proverbial Philosophy of Wit & Humor (1874)I have never lost the feeling of contradiction that lies behind all knowledge.
Hermann Hesse1877–1962Gertrude (1910)Young man, in mathematics you don’t understand things. You just get used to them.
John von Neumann1903–1957Reply to a physicist friend, per Felix T. Smith; as quoted in Gary Zukav, The Dancing Wu Li Masters (1984 ed.), p. 208nYou don’t get anything worth getting by pretending to know things you don’t know.
Sam Harrisborn 1967Sam Harris, Big Think Sam Harris On Death (July 4, 2007)There are conditions worse than being unable to see, and that is imagining one sees.
L. Ron Hubbard1911–1986Lecture, Scientology and Effective Knowledge (July 15, 1957).The condition of mankind is to be weary of what we do know, and afraid of what we do not.
George Savile, 1st Marquess of Halifax1633–1695Political, Moral, and Miscellaneous Reflections (1750), “Moral Thoughts and Reflections”Nothing in this world is a gift. Whatever has to be learned must be learned the hard way.
CCCarlos Castaneda1925–1998The Wheel of Time: Shamans of Ancient Mexico, Their Thoughts About Life, Death and the Universe (1998), “Quotations from The Teachings of Don Juan” (Chapter 4)