“It is better, of course, to know useless things than to know nothing.”

—  Seneca the Younger

Source: Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium (Moral Letters to Lucilius), Letter LXXXVIII: On liberal and vocational studies, Line 45.

Original

Satius est supervacua scire quam nihil.

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "It is better, of course, to know useless things than to know nothing." by Seneca the Younger?
Seneca the Younger photo
Seneca the Younger 225
Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, and dramatist -4–65 BC

Related quotes

Tom Stoppard photo

“It is better of course to know useless things than to know nothing.”

Tom Stoppard (1937) British playwright

Misattributed
Source: Seneca, Epistle 88, as seen in the following: "You may sweep all these theories in with the superfluous troops of 'liberal' studies; the one class of men give me a knowledge that will be of no use to me, the other class do away with any hope of attaining knowledge. It is better, of course, to know useless things than to know nothing. One set of philosophers offers no light by which I may direct my gaze toward the truth; the other digs out my very eyes and leaves me blind." Seneca: Epistle 88 http://www.stoics.com/seneca_epistles_book_2.html#%E2%80%98LXXXVIII1

“Gertrude knew better than this, of course, but we all know better than we know better, or act as if we did.”

Randall Jarrell book Pictures from an Institution

Source: Pictures from an Institution (1954) [novel], Chapter 3, p. 100

Adrienne von Speyr photo

“Whoever wants to love is better knowing nothing than too much.”

Adrienne von Speyr (1902–1967) Swiss doctor and mystic

Source: Lumina and New Lumina (1969), p. 20

Josh Billings photo

“I honestly beleave it iz better tew know nothing than two know what ain't so.”

Josh Billings (1818–1885) American humorist

" Sollum Thoughts http://books.google.com/books?id=7rA8AAAAYAAJ&q=%22tew+know+nothing%22#v=snippet&q=%22tew%20know%20nothing%22&f=false". in Everybody's Friend: Josh Billing's Encyclopedia & Proverbial Philosophy of Wit & Humor (1874)
Variant:
I honestly believe it is better to know nothing than to know what ain't so.
Variant: I honestly believe it is better to know nothing than to know what ain't so.

Albert Pike photo

“We all not only have better intimations, but are capable of better things than we know.”

Albert Pike book Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry

Source: Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry (1871), Ch. XXII : Grand Master Architect, p. 191
Context: We all not only have better intimations, but are capable of better things than we know. The pressure of some great emergency would develop in us powers, beyond the worldly bias of our spirits; and Heaven so deals with us, from time to time, as to call forth those better things. There is hardly a family so selfish in the world, but that, if one in it were doomed to die—one, to be selected by the others,—it would be utterly impossible for its members, parents and children, to choose out that victim; but that each would say, "I will die; but I cannot choose." And in how many, if that dire extremity had come, would not one and another step forth, freed from the vile meshes of ordinary selfishness, and say, like the Roman father and son, "Let the blow fall on me!" There are greater and better things in us all, than the world takes account of, or than we take note of; if we would but find them out.

Terry Pratchett photo

“That's one form of magic, of course."
"What, just knowing things?"
"Knowing things that other people don't know.”

Terry Pratchett book Equal Rites

Source: Equal Rites

Silius Italicus photo

“Peace is the best thing that man may know; peace alone is better than a thousand triumphs”
Pax optima rerum quas homini novisse datum est, pax una triumphis innumeris potior, pax custodire salutem et civis aequare potens revocetur in arcis tandem Sidonias, et fama fugetur ab urbe perfidiae, Phoenissa, tua.

Silius Italicus Punica

Book XI, lines 592–597<!--; spoken by Hanno.-->
Punica
Context: Peace is the best thing that man may know; peace alone is better than a thousand triumphs; peace has power to guard our lives and secure equality among fellow-citizens. Let us then after so long recall peace to the city of Carthage, and banish the reproach of treachery from Dido's city.

André Maurois photo

“It is better to teach a few things perfectly than many things indifferently, and an overloaded curriculum is useless. The object of instruction is not to produce technicians, but good active minds.”

André Maurois (1885–1967) French writer

Un Art de Vivre (The Art of Living) (1939), The Art of Working

Bernhard Schlink photo

“Or is there no such thing as 'too late'? Is there only 'late' and is 'late' always better than 'never'? I don't know.”

Bernhard Schlink book The Reader

Source: The Reader

Related topics