Ignorance breeds monsters to fill up the vacancies of the soul that are unoccupied by the verities of knowledge.
—Horace Mann (1796–1859) American Educator, Politician, Educationalist
All I know about humor is that I don’t know anything about it.
—Fred Allen (1894–1956) American Humorist, Radio Personality
Dare to be naive.
—Buckminster Fuller (1895–1983) American Inventor, Philosopher
Nothing in education is so astonishing as the amount of ignorance it accumulates in the form of inert facts.
—Henry Adams (1838–1918) American Historian, Man of Letters
Nothing is so dangerous as an ignorant friend; a wise enemy is worth more.
—Jean de La Fontaine (1621–95) French Poet, Short Story Writer
In the battle for survival the ignorant man has a considerable advantage.
—Unknown
Nothing is so indicative of deepest culture as a tender consideration of the ignorant.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Ignorance is bold and knowledge reserved.
—Thucydides (c.455?c.400 BCE) Greek Historian
The young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt the impossible—and achieve it, generation after generation.
—Pearl S. Buck (1892–1973) American Novelist, Human Rights Activist
Basic research is what I’m doing when I don’t know what I’m doing.
—Wernher von Braun (1912–77) German-born American Engineer, Scientist
Ignorance is not so damnable as humbug, but when it prescribes pills it may happen to do more harm.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn’t learn something from him.
—Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) Italian Astronomer, Physicist, Mathematician
Not ignorance, but ignorance of ignorance, is the death of knowledge.
—Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947) English Mathematician, Philosopher
Ignorance gives one a large range of probabilities
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.
—Unknown
As if anything were so common as ignorance! The multitude of fools is a protection to the wise.
—Cicero (106BCE–43BCE) Roman Philosopher, Orator, Politician, Lawyer
His ignorance covers the world like a blanket, and there’s scarcely a hole in it anywhere
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
Most ignorance is vincible ignorance.We don’t know because we don’t want to know.
—Aldous Huxley (1894–1963) English Humanist, Pacifist, Essayist, Short Story Writer, Satirist
Ignorance is not privileged by titular degrees
—Latin Proverb
A wise man in the company of those who are ignorant, has been compared to a beautiful girl in the company of blind men.
—Sa’Di (Musharrif Od-Din Muslih Od-Din) (c.1213–91) Persian Poet
A man may live long, and die at last in ignorance of many truths, which his mind was capable of knowing, and that with certainty.
—John Locke (1632–1704) English Philosopher, Physician
The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance—it is the illusion of knowledge.
—Daniel J. Boorstin (1914–2004) American Historian, Academic, Attorney, Writer
The highest form of ignorance is to reject something you know nothing about.
—Wayne Dyer (b.1940) American Motivational Writer, Author, Motivational Speaker
Too much attention cannot be bestowed on that important, yet much neglected branch of learning, the knowledge of man’s ignorance.
—Richard Whately (1787–1863) English Philosopher, Theologian
It is not wisdom but ignorance that teaches men presumption.—Genius may sometimes be arrogant, but nothing is so diffident as knowledge.
—Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton (1803–73) British Novelist, Poet, Politician
Mystery is but another name for our ignorance; if we were omniscient, all would be perfectly plain.
—Tryon Edwards American Theologian
When Columbus started out he didn’t know where he was going, when he got there he didn’t know where he was, and when he got back he didn’t know where he had been.
—Unknown
If ignorance is bliss, there should be more happy people.
—Anonymous
The pleasures of ignorance are as great, in their way, as the pleasures of knowledge.
—Aldous Huxley (1894–1963) English Humanist, Pacifist, Essayist, Short Story Writer, Satirist
If ignorance is bliss, why aren’t there more happy people?
—Unknown
The greater the ignorance the greater the dogmatism.
—William Osler (1849–1919) Canadian Physician
Fear always springs from ignorance.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
He that does not know those things which are of use and necessity for him to know, is but an ignorant man, whatever he may know besides.
—John Tillotson
People think the Beatles know what’s going on. We don’t. We’re just doing it.
—John Lennon (1940–80) British Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Activist
For my part I believe in the forgiveness of sin and the redemption of ignorance.
—Adlai Stevenson (1900–65) American Diplomat, Politician, Orator
Naivete in grownups is often charming; but when coupled with vanity it is indistinguishable from stupidity.
—Eric Hoffer (1902–83) American Philosopher, Author
It’s innocence when it charms us, ignorance when it doesn’t.
—Mignon McLaughlin (1913–83) American Journalist, Author
I know it was wonderful, but I don’t know how I did it.
—Laurence Olivier (1907–89) English Actor, Producer, Director
Ignorance is not bliss—ignorance is ignorance.
—Unknown
Prejudice is the child of ignorance.
—William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English Essayist
Anyway, no drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we’re looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn’t test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed and love of power.
—P. J. O’Rourke (b.1947) American Journalist, Political Satirist
For “ignorance is the mother of devotion,” as all the world knows.
—Robert Burton (1577–1640) English Scholar, Clergyman
As electricity is a great power in the world, so the inner mind is the greatest power available to you. Neither operates independently; both depend upon a separate agency to ignite them to action, and both bring helpful or harmful results according to the wisdom or ignorance with which they are directed.
—Roger McDonald (b.1941) Australian Novelist, Poet, Screenwriter, Writer
Ignorance is the curse of God; knowledge the wing wherewith we fly to heaven.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Some scientists claim that hydrogen, because it is so plentiful, is the basic building block of the universe. I dispute that. I say there is more stupidity than hydrogen, and that is the basic building block of the universe.
—Frank Zappa (1940–93) American Rock Guitarist, Singer, Composer
Light travels faster than sound. That’s why most people seem bright until you hear them speak.
—Unknown
Everybody is ignorant—only on different subjects.
—Will Rogers (1879–1935) American Actor, Rancher, Humorist
The ignorance of the world leaves one at the mercy of its malice
—William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English Essayist
All I know is just what I read in the papers, and that’s an alibi for my ignorance.
—Will Rogers (1879–1935) American Actor, Rancher, Humorist
When you combine ignorance and leverage, you get some pretty interesting results.
—Warren Buffett (b.1930) American Investor