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Ignorance Quotes

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Ignorance Quotes

“Every intervention of man in the environment around him incurs some risk as to both favorable and unfavorable consequences. Every intervention is taken in the face of partial ignorance as to what its effects will be and involves uncertainty as to the ultimate outcome.”

Men Faces Taken Environment Risk Effects Ignorance Consequence Ultimate Environmental Uncertainty Outcomes Intervention

Book:Geography, Resources and Environment, Volume 1: Selected Writings of Gilbert F. White

Source: Geography, Resources and Environment, Volume 1: Selected Writings of Gilbert F. White

“Persecution always says, 'I know the consequences of your opinion better than you know them yourselves.' But the language of toleration was always amicable, liberal, and just: it confessed its doubts, and acknowledged its ignorance ... Persecution had always reasoned from cause to effect, from opinion to action, [that such an opinion would invariably lead to but one action], which proved generally erroneous; while toleration led us invariably to form just conclusions, by judging from actions and not from opinions.”

Knows Action Form Language Causes Opinion Doubt Effects Ignorance Judging Consequence Conclusion Persecution Better Than You Toleration

Author:Charles James Fox

“If we define a miracle as an effect of which the cause is unknown to us, then we make our ignorance the source of miracles! And the universe itself would be a standing miracle. A miracle might be perhaps defined more exactly as an effect which is not the consequence or effect of any known laws of nature.”

Ifs Might Would Be Law Universe Causes Known Effects Ignorance Source Consequence Standing Miracle Defined Laws Of Nature

Author:Charles Babbage

“It is a curious paradox that precisely in proportion to our own intellectual weakness will be our credulity, to those mysterious powers assumed by others; and in those regions of darkness and ignorance where man cannot effect even those things that are within the power of man, there we shall ever find that a blind belief in feats that are far beyond those powers has taken the deepest root in the minds of the deceived, and produced the richest harvest to the knavery of the deceiver.”

Source: Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think

“Incivility is not a Vice of the Soul, but the effect of several Vices; of Vanity, Ignorance of Duty, Laziness, Stupidity, Distraction, Contempt of others, and Jealousy.”

Soul Character Effects Ignorance Duty Vices Stupidity Vanity Contempt Distraction Laziness Incivility

Author:Jean de la Bruyere

“The notion that science does not concern itself with first causes - that it leaves the field to theology or metaphysics, and confines itself to mere effects - this notion has no support in the plain facts. If it could, science would explain the origin of life on earth at once - and there is every reason to believe that it will do so on some not too remote tomorrow. To argue that gaps in knowledge which will confront the seeker must be filled, not by patient inquiry, but by intuition or revelation, is simply to give ignorance a gratuitous and preposterous dignity.”

“Among the innumerable mortifications which waylay human arrogance on every side may well be reckoned our ignorance of the most common objects and effects, a defect of which we become more sensible by every attempt to supply it. Vulgar and inactive minds confound familiarity with knowledge and conceive themselves informed of the whole nature of things when they are shown their form or told their use; but the speculatist, who is not content with superficial views, harasses himself with fruitless curiosity, and still, as he inquires more, perceives only that he knows less.”

“It is not enough to be well-intentioned; one must strive to put those intentions into action in a capable way. One must consider the effect his actions will have on others. Looked at like this, to persist in ignorance is itself dishonorable”

Way Wells Enough Action Literature Effects Ignorance Capable Intention Strive Persist Dishonorable

Author:Andrew Cohen

“Insofar as Trumpism was understood, it was seen as a side-effect of poverty, ignorance and educational failure. A cry from people who deserved sympathy, but who should never be allowed to set the terms of political debate.”

People Should Political Sides Term Poverty Effects Cry Ignorance Understood Educational Debate Side Effects Political Debates

Author:Fraser Nelson

“For I found myself embarrassed with so many doubts and errors that it seemed to me that the effort to instruct myself had no effect other than th eincreasing discovery of my own ignorance”

Found My Own Effort Doubt Effects Ignorance Discovery Errors Embarrassed

Book:Discourse on Method and Meditations

Source: Discourse on Method and Meditations

“The only difference between a cult and a religion is the amount of real estate they own” “Stupidity has a certain charm - ignorance does not” “My best advice to anyone who wants to raise a happy, mentally healthy child is: Keep him or her as far away from a church as you can” “It would be easier to pay off the national debt overnight than to neutralize the long-range effects of our national stupidity” “Communism doesn't work because people like to own stuff.”

“I do not approve of anything that tampers with natural ignorance. Ignorance is like a delicate exotic fruit; touch it and the bloom is gone. The whole theory of modern education is radically unsound. Fortunately in England, at any rate, education produces no effect whatsoever. If it did, it would prove a serious danger to the upper classes, and probably lead to acts of violence in Grosvenor Square.”

“Wonder at the first sight of works of art may be the effect of ignorance and novelty; but real admiration and permanent delight in them are the growth of taste and knowledge.”

Firsts May Art Real Artist Growth Wonder Effects Ignorance Taste Sight Delight Permanent Admiration Works Of Art Novelty

Book:Table-talk: Or Original Essays

Source: Table-talk: Or Original Essays

“Wonder [admiratio astonishment, marvel] is a kind of desire for knowledge. The situation arises when one sees an effect and does not know its cause, or when the cause of the particular effect is one that exceeds his power of understanding. Hence, wonder is a cause of pleasure insofar as there is annexed the hope of attaining understanding of that which one wants to know. ... For desire is especially aroused by the awareness of ignorance, and consequently a man takes the greatest pleasure in those things which he discovers for himself or learns from the ground up.”