All I know about humor is that I don’t know anything about it.
—Fred Allen (1894–1956) American Humorist, Radio Personality
Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) American Head of State, Lawyer
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
Better be unborn than untaught, for ignorance is the root of misfortune.
—Plato (428 BCE–347 BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Mathematician, Educator
I do not believe in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.
—Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish Historian, Essayist
Behind every argument is someone’s ignorance.
—Louis Brandeis (1856–1941) American Jurist
He that is not aware of his ignorance will be only misled by his knowledge.
—Richard Whately (1787–1863) English Philosopher, Theologian
Ignorance is the dominion of absurdity.
—James Anthony Froude (1818–94) British Historian, Novelist, Biographer, Editor
Ignoranus: A person who’s both stupid and an asshole.
—Unknown
Lawyers are the only persons in whom ignorance of the law is not punished.
—Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832) British Philosopher, Economist
I would prefer as a friend a good man who is ignorant than one more clever who is evil, too.
—Euripides (480–406 BCE) Ancient Greek Dramatist
Not ignorance, but ignorance of ignorance, is the death of knowledge.
—Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947) English Mathematician, Philosopher
Beware of ignorance when in motion; look out for inexperience when in action, and beware of the majority when mentally poisoned with misinformation, for collective ignorance does not become wisdom.
—William J. H. Boetcker (1873–1962) American Presbyterian Minister
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
It is almost as difficult to make a man unlearn his errors, as his knowledge. Mal-information is more hopeless than non-information: for error is always more busy than ignorance. Ignorance is a blank sheet on which we may write; but error is a scribbled one on which we first erase. Ignorance is contented to stand still with her back to the truth; but error is more presumptuous, and proceeds, in the same direction. Ignorance has no light, but error follows a false one. The consequence is, that error, when she retraces her footsteps, has farther to go, before we can arrive at the truth, than ignorance.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
Nothing is so haughty and assuming as ignorance where self-conceit sets up to be infallible.
—Robert South (1634–1716) English Theologian, Preacher
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
I am an agnostic; I do not pretend to know what many ignorant men are sure of.
—Clarence Darrow (1857–1938) American Civil Liberties Lawyer
The first step to knowledge is to know that we are ignorant.
—Richard Cecil
Sometimes it proves the highest understanding not to understand.
—Baltasar Gracian (1601–58) Spanish Scholar, Prose Writer
Ignorance is never out of style. It was in fashion yesterday, it is the rage today and it will set the pace tomorrow.
—Frank Lane (1896–1981) American Sportsperson, Businessperson
Ignorance never settles a question.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
Ignorance and inconsideration are the two great causes of the ruin of mankind.
—John Tillotson
It is with nations as with individuals, those who know the least of others think the highest of themselves; for the whole family of pride and ignorance are incestuous, and mutually beget each other.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
When we are not sure, we are alive.
—Graham Greene (1904–91) British Novelist, Playwright, Short Story Writer
In the natural world ignorance is visited as sharply as willful disobedience; incapacity meets the same punishment as crime.—Nature’s discipline is not even a word and a blow and the blow first, but the blow without the word.—It is left for the sufferer to find out why the blow was given.
—Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–95) English Biologist
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
A man profits more by the sight of an idiot than by the orations of the learned.
—Arabic Proverb
Ignorance, which in behavior mitigates a fault, is, in literature, a capital offence.
—Joseph Joubert (1754–1824) French Writer, Moralist
He was so learned that he could name a horse in nine languages; so ignorant that he bought a cow to ride on.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
There is no darkness, but ignorance.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Your ignorance cramps my conversation.
—Anthony Hope (1863–1933) English Novelist, Playwright
Painting is easy when you don’t know how, but very difficult when you do.
—Edgar Degas (1834–1917) French Painter, Sculpture, Printer maker, Artist
Ignorance is an enemy, even to its owner. Knowledge is a friend, even to its hater. Ignorance hates knowledge because it is too pure. Knowledge fears ignorance because it is too sure.
—Sri Chinmoy (1931–2007) Indian Yoga Teacher
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
To be proud of learning is the greatest ignorance.
—Jeremy Taylor
Ignorance is the womb of monsters
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–87) American Clergyman, Writer
Where there is an unknowable, there is a promise.
—Thornton Wilder (1897–1975) American Novelist, Playwright
He must be very ignorant for he answers every question he is asked.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
I do not approve of anything which tampers with natural ignorance.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
To write a good love letter you ought to begin without knowing what you mean to say, and to finish without knowing what you have written.
—Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–78) Swiss-born French Philosopher
You can be sincere and still be stupid.
—Charles F. Kettering (1876–1958) American Inventor, Entrepreneur, Businessperson
Ignorance doesn’t kill you, but it makes you sweat a lot.
—Haitian Proverb
Ignorance gives one a large range of probabilities
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
Naivete in grownups is often charming; but when coupled with vanity it is indistinguishable from stupidity.
—Eric Hoffer (1902–83) American Philosopher, Author
When a man is pushed, tormented, defeated, he has a chance to learn something; he has been put on his wits … he has gained facts, learned his ignorance, is cured of the insanity of conceit, has got moderation and real skill.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Sixty years ago I knew everything; now I know nothing; education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.
—William C. Durant (1861–1947) American Industrialist
Ignorance is the curse of God; knowledge the wing wherewith we fly to heaven.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Ignorance is a mere privation, by which nothing can be produced; it is a vacuity in which the soul sits motionless and torpid for want of attraction.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Better to be ignorant of a matter than half know it.
—Publilius Syrus (fl.85–43 BCE) Syrian-born Roman Latin Writer