Quotes about knowledge
page 46

“People predict by making up stories.
People predict very little and explain everything.
People live under uncertainty whether they like it or not.
People believe they can tell the future if they work hard enough.
People accept any explanation as long as it fits the facts.
The handwriting was on the wall. It was just the ink that was invisible.
People often work hard to obtain information they already have and avoid new knowledge.
Man is a deterministic device thrown into a probabilistic Universe. In this match, surprises are expected.
Everything that has already happened must have been inevitable.
A part of good science is to see what everyone else can see but think what no one else has ever said.
The difference between being very smart and very foolish is often very small.
So many problems occur when people fail to be obedient when they are supposed to be obedient, and fail to be creative when they are supposed to be creative
The secret to doing good research is always to be a little underemployed. You waste years by not being able to waste hours.
It is sometimes easier to make the world a better place than to prove you have made the world a better place.”

Amos Tversky (1937–1996) Israeli psychologist

Source: Notes made by Tversky for a scientific paper, c.1972. Michael Lewis. "The Undoing Project: A Friendship that Changed the World". Penguin, 2016 (ISBN 9780141983035).

People, Secret, World, Problem

“I fundamentally believe that disinformation becomes so easy to generate, because complexity overwhelms knowledge, that it's in people's interests, if you will, over the next decade, to build disinformation-generating systems. This is true for corporations, for marketing, for governments, and so forth."”

Eric Schmidt (1955) software engineer, businessman

Source: Eric Schmidt in dialogue with Julian Assange, June 2011 c.f When Google Met Wikileaks, p. 174

People

“The great disease of mankind is ignorance.
With knowledge you can grasp tight a belief: that you can be better, that the world can be better. With that, you can claim hope.
Hope is the eternal tool in the survival kit for mankind. We hope for a little luck, we hope for a better tomorrow, we hope — although it is an impossible hope — to somehow get out of this world alive.
And if we can't and don't, then it is enough to rejoice in our short time here and to remember how much we loved the view.”

Sidney Poitier (1927) American-born Bahamian actor, film director, author, and diplomat

Source: Life Beyond Measure (2008), twenty-third letter — The World I Leave You, p. 273

Love, World, Disease, Hope

“Where is a self-revelation of this sort achieved? In Life, as its essence, since Life is nothing other than that which reveals itself – not something that might have an added property of self-revealing, but the very fact of self-revealing, self-revelation as such. Everywhere that something like a self-revelation is produced there is Life. Everywhere there is Life, this self-revelation is produced. If, then, the Revelation of God is a self-revelation that owes nothing to the truth of the world, and if we ask where such a self-revelation is achieved, the answer is unequivocal: in Life and in Life alone. Therefore we are in the presence of the first fundamental equation of Christianity: God is Life – he is the essence of Life, or if one prefers, the essence of Life is God. Saying this we already know what God is, but we do not know it through the effect of some knowledge or learning – we do not know it through thought, against the background of the truth of the world. Rather we know it, and we can know it, only in and through Life itself. We can know the essence of God only in God. But this observation is premature.”

Michel Henry (1922–2002) French writer

Books on Religion and Christianity, I am the Truth. Toward a philosophy of Christianity (1996)
Source: Michel Henry, I am the Truth. Toward a Philosophy of Christianity, translated by Susan Emanuel, Stanford University Press, 2003, p. 27-28

Life, God, Truth, World

“Although it is not thought or some other form of knowledge, although it is not the truth of the world, that gives access to the Revelation of God, at least a single possibility persist, already mentioned as a simple matter of fact and now rendered unimpeachable. Access to God, understood as his self-revelation according to a phenomenality proper to Him, is not susceptible of being produced except where this self-revelation is produced and in the way self-revelation does so. There where God originally arrives in himself, in the phenomenalization of phenomenality that is his own and is thus like the self-phenomenalization of this phenomenality proper – there alone is access to God. It is not that thought is lacking and so we cannot accede to the Revelation of God. Quite the contrary, it is only when thought defaults, because the truth of the world is absent, that what is at stake be achieved: the self-revelation of God – the self-phenomenalization of pure phenomenality against the background of a phenomenality that is not that of the world.”

Michel Henry (1922–2002) French writer

God, Truth, World, Way

“The entire world is worthless excepting five things: to eat for survival, to take water in order to slake thirst, clothes to cover body, house to dwell in, knowledge just to act upon.”

Sari al-Saqati (772–867) Iraqi sufi

Source: The Sayings and Teachings of the Great Mystics of Islam, p. 43

World, Water, Housing, Clothes

“A little knowledge is said to be a dangerous thing, but it is not dangerous to the imagination. Knowledge is to the imagination what fuel is to flame. A little feeds it; a great deal extinguishes it.”

Alfred Austin (1835–1913) British writer and poet

Source: The Poet's Diary (1904), p. 158.

Imagination

“Man's knowledge, save before his fellow man,
Is ignorance—his widest wisdom folly.”

Theodore Watts-Dunton (1832–1914) English literary critic and poet

The Coming of Love and Other Poems (1897)
Source: "Prophetic Pictures at Venice VII: New Year's Morning, 1867", p. 207.

Wisdom

“Nothing so effectively economizes effort and intelligence, as distinct from anxiety, as the knowledge that nothing can be done.”

John Kenneth Galbraith book The New Industrial State

Source: The New Industrial State (1967), Chapter VIII, Section 1, p. 91 (1985)

Intelligence, Effort

“It is not by lack of capability that we don't thrive but it is by either lack of knowledge that we possess it or by non-application of it.”

- Goa

“An aphorism can be considered a logically completed thought, accepted from the point of view of its meaning for the expression of new sensations, knowledge and meanings.”

Zafar Mirzo (1972)

“Live with a definite purpose. Do not roam about aimlessly. Walk with a definite aim. Climb the hill of knowledge steadily and reach the summit of the temple of Brahman or the grand abode of Life Immortal.”

Swami Sivananda (1887–1963) Indian philosopher

Sayings of Swami Sivanada (1947)

Life

“It’s common platitude that knowledge is neutral but every now and then it would be useful if it were on your side rather than theirs.”

John Brunner book The Jagged Orbit

Source: The Jagged Orbit (1969), Chapter 15 (p. 49; chapter title)

“In fact writing a computer program is a pretty good way to summarize knowledge about any set of rules.”

Richard Dawkins book Climbing Mount Improbable

Source: Climbing Mount Improbable (1996), Chapter 2, “Silken Fetters” (p. 58)

Way

“[T]he devil has more knowledge than any of us, and yet is no better for it.”

J.C. Ryle (1816–1900) Anglican bishop

Vol. III, John XV: 22–27, p. 123
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: St. John (1865–1873)

“Knowledge of the Bible never comes by intuition. It can only be got by hard, regular, daily, attentive, wakeful reading.”

J.C. Ryle (1816–1900) Anglican bishop

Matthew IV: 1–11, p. 26
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: St. Matthew (1856)

Reading

“Catechesis must be experiential, a true accompaniment in the experience of God, not a schooled catechesis where only an indoctrination or a teaching of knowledge is received.”

Franco Coppola (1957) Italian bishop and apostolic nuncio

Women, the poor and young: the main challenges of the Mexican Church http://www.fides.org/en/news/66127-AMERICA_MEXICO_Women_the_poor_and_young_the_main_challenges_of_the_Mexican_Church (3 June 2019)

God, School

“When God created the world, He placed sin and ignorance within satisfication of the appetite and knowledge and wisdom withing hunger. When Sahl hungered he was powerful, and whenever he ate, he became weak.”

Sahl al-Tustari (818–896) arabian Sufi, Islamic theologian

Source: The Sayings and Teachings of the Great Mystics of Islam (2004), p. 55

Wisdom, Hunger, God, World

“[K]nowledge that is not Infallible is not certain knowledge.”

Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (1058–1111) Persian Muslim theologian, jurist, philosopher, and mystic

I. Introduction, p. 7.
Deliverance from Error

“Where is the Life we have lost in living?
Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?
The cycles of Heaven in twenty centuries
Bring us farther from God and nearer to the Dust.”

T.S. Eliot book The Rock

The Rock, Part I (1934)

Life, Wisdom, God

“You conceive of science as nothing more than answers to questions?
As a system for generating answers.
And what is the purpose of that?
...To know.
And what will you do with your knowledge?
...Find out more.
But why?
I don’t know. It’s the way I am.”

Kim Stanley Robinson book Green Mars

Source: Green Mars (1993), Chapter 8, “Social Engineering” (p. 401)

Way, Question, Science

“[O]ne must have a certain amount of both intelligence and knowledge to be amazed even at the most extraordinary things.”

Jean Ingelow (1820–1897) British writer

Source: Off the Skelligs: A Novel (1872), Ch. 21, p. 356.

Intelligence

“A great physicist is always a metaphysicist as well; he has a higher concept of his knowledge and his task.”

Ernst Jünger book The Glass Bees

The Glass Bees (1957)

“Man's relation to pain changes with every significant shift in fundamental belief. This relation is in no way set; rather, it eludes our knowledge, and yet is the best benchmark by which to discern a race.”

Ernst Jünger (1895–1998) German writer

On Pain (1934)

Pain, Way, Change

“Ignorance is not a simple lack of knowledge but an active aversion to knowledge, the refusal to know, issuing from cowardice, pride or laziness of mind.”

Karl Popper (1902–1994) Austrian-British philosopher of science

Principle attributed to Popper by Ryszard Kapiscinski in New York Times obituary, 1995.
Misattributed
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/01/magazine/lives-well-lived-karl-popper-the-philosopher-as-giantslayer.html

“The true function of the priesthood, then, is above all one of knowledge and teaching, and this is why, as we said above, its proper attribute is wisdom.”

René Guénon (1886–1951) French metaphysician

Source: Spiritual Authority and Temporal Power (1929), p. 18

Wisdom

“No matter your knowledge and position, your birth and death is once in lifetime.”

Yusuf Cornelius Otijenu

Death, Birth

“You may be heartbroken today because you have blocked your understanding from the history and knowledge of and about life.”

Idegu Ojonugwa Shadrach (1995)

Life, History, Understanding

“Who, or rather what, are Homo sapiens? The more accurate the knowledge about him, the clearer path for the further development of human society.”

Zafar Mirzo (1972)

“An accessible way to gain new knowledge is by comprehension of aphorisms.”

Zafar Mirzo (1972)

Way

“"Knowledge did not only took fear away from me, it also made me surpass human creatures."
-Engr. Abah Sule-”

Engr.Abah Sule

Fear

“Realizing life is remarkable makes a person more open to accepting scientific knowledge about its origin.”

Zafar Mirzo (1972)

Life, Personality

“Till we know that, what is all our knowledge; how shall we even so much as "detect?”

Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish philosopher, satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher

For the vulpine sharpness, which considers itself to be knowledge, and "detects" in that fashion, is far mistaken. Dupes indeed are many: but, of all dupes, there is none so fatally situated as he who lives in undue terror of being duped.
1840s, Heroes and Hero-Worship (1840), The Hero As King

“I have a friend who's an artist, and he sometimes takes a view which I don't agree with. He'll hold up a flower and say, "Look how beautiful it is," and I'll agree. But then he'll say, "I, as an artist, can see how beautiful a flower is. But you, as a scientist, take it all apart and it becomes dull." I think he's kind of nutty. ... There are all kinds of interesting questions that come from a knowledge of science, which only adds to the excitement and mystery and awe of a flower. It only adds. I don't understand how it subtracts.”

Richard Feynman book What Do You Care What Other People Think?

"The Making of a Scientist," p. 11: video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEwUwWh5Xs4&t=26s <br class="br">What Do You Care What Other People Think? (1988)

Beauty, Flowers, Understanding, Question

“19 19 19 WISDOM " I use every opportunity to learn from any source ( all knowledge is important ). " -Engr. Abah Sule”

Engr.Abah Sule

Wisdom, Learning

“A historian of science is not expected to be a scientist, but he is expected to have some basic knowledge of the scientific alphabet. Similarly, a historian of Orientalism—that is to say, the work of historians and philologists—should have at least some acquaintance with the history and philology with which they were concerned.”

Edward Said (1935–2003) Professor of English and literature

Bernard Lewis, "The Question of Orientalism", The New York Review of Books, 24 June 1982

History, Science

“A person's spiritual development begins with his conscious desire for knowledge of important worldview issues, goodness, and humanity, and understanding and perception of beauty.”

Zafar Mirzo (1972)

Beauty, Understanding, Personality

“In many cases, humans think themselves as the culmination of all knowledge. In fact, more things we don't know about ourselves. Without knowledge of the source of that truth, humans cannot exist. Humans have no value.”

Titon Rahmawan

Truth, Thinking

“Knowledge becomes useless and wasted if it is not acted upon or put into practice.”

Titon Rahmawan

“Reading opens our minds and gives us knowledge. That knowledge will only be tested through our life experiences.”

Titon Rahmawan

Life, Reading

“A good education is oriented towards building motivation, broadening horizons and knowledge, sharpening logic and reasoning, honing sensitivity, caring and empathy. A good education provides direction and purpose in life and the ability to find solutions to real problems.”

Titon Rahmawan

Life, Education, Motivation, Problem

“We don't have enough knowledge until we learn to know. But the limitations of humanity prevent us from knowing what is unknown and what is beyond reasoning. That is why we cannot rely entirely on ourselves.”

Titon Rahmawan

Learning

“Friendship, true and indissoluble friendship is confirmed in time of need. The rest be defined knowledge.”

Prevale (1983) Italian DJ and producer

Original: L'amicizia, la vera e indissolubile amicizia si conferma nel momento del bisogno. Il resto si definisce conoscenza.
Source: prevale.net

Friendship, Time

“A true master is one who knows how to listen to you, teach you his knowledge, be friends with you and who has the ability to eliminate any doubt of yours.”

Prevale (1983) Italian DJ and producer

Original: Un vero maestro è colui che sappia ascoltarvi, insegnarvi la sua conoscenza, esservi amico e che abbia la capacità di eliminare qualsiasi vostro dubbio.
Source: prevale.net

“True intelligence is not about accumulating knowledge, but remaining in a state of constant learning and growth.”

Prevale (1983) Italian DJ and producer

Original: La vera intelligenza non consiste nell'accumulare conoscenze, ma nel rimanere in uno stato di costante apprendimento e crescita.
Source: prevale.net

Intelligence, Learning

This quote waiting for review.

“The democratization of access to knowledge is, without a doubt, a valuable achievement. However, it has also helped foster a persistent illusion: the idea that having access to information is the same as understanding it.”

José Baroja (1983) Chilean author and editor

Source: La sociedad que olvidó a sus profesores. Por José Baroja. (2026, 13 junio). Le Monde Diplomatique. https://www.lemondediplomatique.cl/la-sociedad-que-olvido-a-sus-profesores-por-jose-baroja.html

Idea, Understanding, Help

This quote waiting for review.

“Teachers do not merely transmit knowledge; we keep alive the conversation between generations that allows a community to understand who it has been, who it is, and who it aspires to become.”

José Baroja (1983) Chilean author and editor

Communication, Understanding, Teachers

Quotes about knowledge page 46

Quotes about knowledge
page 46