Quotes about Ignorance
“When I use the word ignorance, I don’t use it in any negative sense—I don’t mean absence of knowledge. I mean something very fundamental, very present, very positive. It is how we are. It is the very nature of existence to remain mysterious, and that’s why it is so beautiful.”
Osho, Everyday Osho (Page 17)
“If someone can prove me wrong and show me my mistake in any thought or action, I shall gladly change. I seek the truth, which never harmed anyone: the harm is to persist in one’s own self-deception and ignorance.”
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations (Page 50)
“If you come across any special trait of meanness or stupidity… you must be careful not to let it annoy or distress you, but to look upon it merely as an addition to your knowledge—a new fact to be considered in studying the character of humanity. Your attitude towards it will be that of the mineralogist who stumbles upon a very characteristic specimen of a mineral.”
Arthur Schopenhauer, via The Daily Laws (Page 368)
“To the ancient Greeks, far more harm is caused in this world by stupidity and incompetence than outright evil. Those who are overtly evil can be combated, because they are easy to recognize and fight against. The incompetent and stupid are far more dangerous because we are never quite sure where they are leading us, until it is too late. The greatest military disasters in history have more often than not originated from leaders who lack strategic wisdom.”
Robert Greene, The Daily Laws (Page 306)
“Socrates thought that stupidity was incompatible with wisdom, but he never said that ignorance was stupidity.”
Xenophon, via A Calendar of Wisdom (Page 203)
“Ignorance in itself is neither shameful nor harmful. Nobody can know everything. But pretending that you know what you actually do not know is both shameful and harmful.”
Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom (Page 121)
When Arguing Is Futile—Short Story Of The Donkey And The Tiger
Excerpt: In this short story, a heated debate arises between a donkey and a tiger so they go to the lion for help. What he advises might surprise you.
Read More »When Arguing Is Futile—Short Story Of The Donkey And The Tiger
“I believe all suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their happiness or satisfaction. Yet true happiness comes from a sense of inner peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved through the cultivation of altruism, of love and compassion and elimination of ignorance, selfishness and greed.” ~ Dalai Lama
