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Ignorance Quotes

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Ignorance Quotes

“Would-be novelists need to bring equal parts arrogance and ignorance to the task before them. The arrogance is almost self-explanatory. Walk into any bookstore or library, calculate how many lifetimes the average person would need to read all the fiction contained therein. To think that one has anything to contribute, to any genre or tradition, takes genuine hubris.”

Thinking Needs Writing Persons Self Would Be Walks Fiction Ignorance Equal Tradition Tasks Lifetime Library Average Genuine Genre Novelists Arrogance Bookstores Average Person Hubris

Author:Laura Lippman

“There is only one remedy for ignorance and thoughtlessness, and that is literacy. Millions and millions of children would today stand in no need of sex education or consumer education or anti-racism education or any of those fake educations, if they had had in the first place 'an' education.”

Ifs Needs Firsts Children Today Sex Education Millions Ignorance Racism Consumers Fake Remedy Literacy Anti Racism Sex Education Thoughtlessness

Author:Richard Mitchell

“When I have a terrible need of - shall I say the word - religion. Then I go out and paint the stars.”

Needs Stars Nature Ignorance Painting Terrible Paint

Author:Vincent Van Gogh

“The AIDS disease is caused by a virus, but the AIDS epidemic is not. The AIDS epidemic is fueled by stigma, by hate, by misinformation, by ignorance, by indifference. Science has accomplished miracles over the past 20 years, and science can now end this disease - but it cannot end the epidemic. We need more than medicine. We can do something about these things. We need to speak out about the changes we need to make in our society.”

“Science may have come a long way, but as far as religion is concerned, we are first cousins to the !Kung tribesmen of the Kalahari Desert. Except for the garments, their deep religious trances might just as well be happening at a revival meeting or in the congregation of a fundamentalist TV preacher.... As we move further from the life of ignorance and superstition in which religion has its roots, we seem to need it more and more.... Why has religion become a force just when we'd have thought it would be losing ground to secularism?”

“Three key humanist virtues are courage, cognition, and caring - not dependence, ignorance, or insensitivity to the needs of others.”

Needs Three Virtue Atheism Ignorance Keys Caring Positive Atheism Humanist Dependence Cognition Needs Of Others Insensitivity

Author:Paul Kurtz

“Towards orthodox religion, father's own attitude remained one of tolerance. He looked upon the New Testament as the noble story of a human being which, because of ignorance and the lack of printing presses, had become exaggerated. He maintained that religions served their purpose; some people depended on them all their lives to make them honest. Others did not need to be so held in line. But subjection to any church was a reflection on strength and character. You should be able to get from yourself what you had to go go church for.”

Source: The Autobiography of Margaret Sanger

“And I realized a wondrous truth: that knowledge could be our treasure, that there were things humankind knew that we did not, that our conquest need not comprise taking and killing, but could consist of our mutual conquest of ignorance and distrust.”

Needs Ignorance Killing I Realized Treasure Mutual Humankind Distrust Conquest Wondrous

Book:Seraphina

Source: Seraphina

“Wonder is the foundation of all philosophy; research, the progress; ignorance, the end. There is, by heavens, a strong and generous kind of ignorance that yields nothing, for honour and courage, to knowledge: an ignorance to conceive which needs no less knowledge than to conceive knowledge.”

Needs Kind Ends Philosophy Strong Heaven Wonder Knowledge Progress Ignorance Research Philosophical Foundation Generous Yield Honour

Author:Michel de Montaigne

“... with every Asiatic country where we operate in cooperation with the existing culture, the need for intelligent understanding of that country and its ways of life will be crucial. These nations will very likely not respond to appeals with which we are familiar, and not value rewards which seem to us irresistible. The danger--and it would be fatal to world peace--is that in our ignorance of their cultural values we shall meet in head-on collision and incontinently fall back on the old pattern of imposing our own values by force.”

“Not only do I disbelieve in the need for compensation, but I believe that the seeking for rewards and punishments out of this lifeleads men to a ruinous ignorance of the fact that their inevitable rewards and punishments are here.”

Men Needs Believe Facts I Believe Ignorance Rewards Seeking Punishment Inevitable Afterlife Compensation Reward And Punishment

Book:The Major Prose of Thomas Henry Huxley

Source: The Major Prose of Thomas Henry Huxley

“Someone has said,"Education is going from an unconscious to conscious awareness of one's ignorance."..No one has a corner on wisdom. All the name-dropping in the world does not heighten the significance of our character. If anything, it reduces it. Our acute need is to cultivate a willingness to learn and to remain teachable.”

Source: Esther: A Woman of Strength and Dignity

“Deep thinkers who look everywhere for the mysterious causes of poverty, ignorance, crime and war need look no further than their own mirrors. We are all born into this world poor and ignorant, and with thoroughly selfish and barbaric impulses. Those of us who turn out any other way do so largely through the efforts of others, who civilized us before we got big enough to do too much damage to the world or ourselves.”

Source: Compassion Versus Guilt and Other Essays

“Superficial knowledge ... is hurtful to those who possess true genius; for it necessarily draws them away from their main object, wastes their industry over details and subjects foreign to their needs and natural talent, and lastly does not serve, as they flatter themselves, to prove the breadth of their mind. In all ages there have been men of very moderate intelligence who knew much, and so on the contrary, men of the highest intelligence who knew very little. Ignorance is not lack of intelligence, nor knowledge a proof of genius.”

“Everyone wants a happy life without difficulties or suffering. We create many of the problems we face. No one intentionally creates problems, but we tend to be slaves to powerful emotions like anger, hatred and attachment that are based on misconceived projections about people and things. We need to find ways of reducing these emotions by eliminating the ignorance that underlies them and applying opposing forces.”

“I'm trying to learn something about making a balance between the inner life and the outer life. I wouldn't write if I didn't need to be making those discoveries, if I didn't feel the perpetual ignorance of being a human being.”

Ifs Needs Feels Writing Trying Humans Human Beings Ignorance Balance Discovery Perpetual Inner Life

Author:Alison Hawthorne Deming

“Don't ask the barber whether you need a haircut, and don't ask an academic if what he does is relevant.”

Ifs Needs Doe Asks Knowledge Ignorance Limits Relevant Academic Haircuts Barbers

Author:Nassim Nicholas Taleb

“A lot of the public responses are based on the prejudices and ignorance, they've been inherited from previous generations. California has always been a multicultural state, but the thing is, you've got to open your eyes and people in general need to get over their own prejudices.”

People Needs States Eye Generations Ignorance Prejudice Response California Get Over Multicultural Previous Generations

Author:Luis Valdez

“Choice! The key is choice. You have options. You need not spend your life wallowing in failure, ignorance, grief, poverty, shame, and self-pity. But hold on! If this is true then why have so many among us apparently elected to live in this manner? The answer is obvious. Those who live in unhappy failure have never exercised their options for a better way of life because they have never been aware that had any choices”

Ifs Way Needs Self Choices Answers Grief Poverty Ignorance Keys Shame Obvious Unhappy Pity Better Ways Self Pity Wallowing

Author:Og Mandino

“We've got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need?”

Needs Funny Asks Fun Air Stupid Ignorance Clean Environmental Dumb Pollution Pauses Assessment Clean Air Air And Water

Author:Lee Iacocca

“The ethical rule is from Samuel Johnson who believed that maintenance of easily removable ignorance by a responsible office holder was treacherous malfeasance in meeting moral obligation. The prudential rule is that underlying the old Warner & Swasey advertisement for machine tools: "The man who needs a new machine tool, and hasn't bought it, is already paying for it". The Warner & Swasey rule also applies, I believe, to thinking tools. If you don't have the right thinking tools, you, and the people you seek to help, are already suffering from your easily removable ignorance.”

“My boyhood life in New York City has impressed me with the popular ignorance and also with the great need of something better than local lore and weather proverbs.”

Needs Cities New York Ignorance Locals Weather New York City Impressed Something Better Boyhood

Author:Cleveland Abbe

“Ignorance breeds antipathy. Until I got to know how computers worked, I didn't want anything to do with them. I said, 'Well, why do I need them? I write letters.' Which I still do.”

Knows Want Needs Writing Wells Said Stills Know How Ignorance Computer Letters Antipathy

Author:Viggo Mortensen

“A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep.”

Source: To Jerusalem and Back

“We need the compassion and the courage to change the conditions that support our suffering. Those conditions are things like ignorance, bitterness, negligence, clinging, and holding on.”

Needs Suffering Compassion Support Conditions Ignorance Bitterness Holding On Clinging Negligence Courage To Change

Author:Sharon Salzberg

“When Americans are asked to rank professions in terms of honesty and ethics, insurance agents routinely end up near the bottom of the list - somewhere between politicians and car salesmen. Generally, insurers are seen as clever hucksters who prey on insecurity and ignorance to sell people what they don't need at prices they shouldn't have to pay.”

People Needs Ends Term Pay Car Honesty Ignorance Politician Ethics Sells Bottom Profession Lists Clever Agents Insecurity Prey Salesman Car Salesman Insurance Agent

Author:James Surowiecki

“To succeed in life, you need two things: ignorance and confidence.”

“All you need is ignorance and confidence and the success is sure.”

Needs Success Ignorance Confidence Love Yourself Congratulations

Author:Mark Twain

“Regardless of the staggering dimensions of the world about us, the density of our ignorance, the risks of catastrophes to come, and our individual weakness within the immense collectivity, the fact remains that we are absolutely free today if we choose to will our existence in its finiteness, a finiteness which is open on the infinite. And in fact, any man who has known real loves, real revolts, real desires, and real will knows quite well that he has no need of any outside guarantee to be sure of his goals; their certitude comes from his own drive.”

“I was unfair to him, of course, but where would I have been without unfairness? In thrall, in harness. Young women need unfairness, it's one of their few defenses. They need their callousness, they need their ignorance. They walk in the dark, along the edges of high cliffs, humming to themselves, thinking themselves invulnerable.”

Thinking Needs Has Beens Young Courses Dark Walks Ignorance Edges Defense Unfair Young Women Cliffs Harness Unfairness Humming Callousness

Book:Cat's Eye

Source: Cat's Eye

“had no need of a guide to learn ignorance”

Needs Ignorance Guides

Book:Voltaire – The Philosophical Works: Treatise On Tolerance, Philosophical Dictionary, Candide, Letters on England, Plato’s Dream, Dialogues, The Study of Nature, Ancient Faith and Fable, Zadig…: From the French writer, historian and philosopher, famous for his wit, his attacks on the established Catholic Church, and his advocacy of freedom of religion and freedom of expression

Source: Voltaire – The Philosophical Works: Treatise On Tolerance, Philosophical Dictionary, Candide, Letters on England, Plato’s Dream, Dialogues, The Study of Nature, Ancient Faith and Fable, Zadig…: From the French writer, historian and philosopher, famous for his wit, his attacks on the established Catholic Church, and his advocacy of freedom of religion and freedom of expression

“I know everything I need to know already," Rigg always said... To which Father always replied,"See how ignorant you are? You don't even know why you need to know the things you don't know yet." "So tell me," said Rigg. "I would but you're too ignorant to understand the reasons why your ignorance is a fatal disease.”

Knows Needs Said Reason Father Ignorance Disease Ignorant Reason Why

Author:Orson Scott Card

“A man once said, 'All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure.' Mark Twain, you know. He had a fine mustache. Men of wisdom so often do.”

Knows Men Needs Said Life Is Ignorance Fine Mark This Life Mustache

Book:Daughter of Smoke and Bone: Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy

Source: Daughter of Smoke and Bone: Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy

“Ignorance of each other is what has made unity impossible in the past. Therefore we need enlightenment. We need more light about each other. Light creates understanding, understanding creates love, love creates patience, and patience creates unity. Once we have more knowledge (light) about each other, we will stop condemning each other and a United front will be brought about.”

Life Needs Made Light Past Understanding United Impossible Fronts Ignorance Enlightenment Unity Condemning More Knowledge United Front

Author:Malcolm X

“I don’t think we’ll get rid of schools any time soon, certainly not in my lifetime, but if we’re going to change what’s rapidly becoming a disaster of ignorance, we need to realize that the institution “schools” very well, but it does not “educate”; that’s inherent in the design of the thing. It’s not the fault of bad teachers or too little money spent. It’s just impossible for education and schooling to be the same thing.”

Source: Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling

“Peace requires something far more difficult than revenge or merely turning the other cheek; it requires empathizing with the fears and unmet needs that provide the impetus for people to attack each other. Being aware of these feelings and needs, people lose their desire to attack back because they can see the human ignorance leading to these attacks; instead, their goal becomes providing the empathic connection and education that will enable them to transcend their violence and engage in cooperative relationships.”

Source: Speak Peace in a World of Conflict: What You Say Next Will Change Your World

“It is not till it is discovered that high individual incomes will not purchase the mass of mankind immunity from cholera, typhus, and ignorance, still less secure them the positive advantages of educational opportunity and economic security, that slowly and reluctantly, amid prophecies of moral degeneration and economic disaster, society begins to make collective provision for needs which no ordinary individual, even if he works overtime all his life, can provide himself.”

“The primary, the most urgent requirement is the promotion of education. It is inconceivable that any nation should achieve prosperity and success unless this paramount, this fundamental concern is carried forward. The principal reason for the decline and fall of peoples is ignorance. Today the mass of the people are uninformed even as to ordinary affairs, how much less do they grasp the core of the important problems and complex needs of the time.”

“All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure. You can "already know for sure" things that could actually impede progress. Always be on the lookout for the things you did not know, that you did not know. Secondly, work on strengthening personal belief that a particular will be achieved regardless of any adversity that may show up, or evidence to the contrary.”

Knows Needs May Shows Life Is Belief Progress Ignorance Particular Inspirational Life Evidence Adversity Contrary This Life Strengthening Sure Thing Personal Beliefs

Author:Mark Twain

“To be born in imbecility, in the midst of pain and crisis; to be the plaything of ignorance, error, need, sickness, wickedness, and passions; to return step by step to imbecility, from the time of lisping to that of doting; to live among knaves and charlatans of all kinds; to die between one man who takes your pulse and another who troubles your head; never to know where you come from, why you come and where you are going! That is what is called the most important gift of our parents and nature. Life.”

“Go deep into meditation. And by meditation I mean awareness, watchfulness, witnessing. It is only through meditation that the inner light begins. Otherwise man lives in darkness. Meditation enkindles something that is latent in all of us, but needs to be provoked. We are looking outwards. Our backs are at our inner source; hence it is being neglected, ignored. and to ignore one's inner being is the only ignorance. To know it is the only knowledge. All other knowledge is worthless. It may help you in the world but it can't help you in eternity.”

Knows Men World Needs May Mean Helping Light Darkness Meditation Awareness Ignorance Source Eternity Ignored Worthless Neglected Latent Provoked Inner Light Watchfulness

Author:Rajneesh

“We need only view a Dissection of that large Mass, the Brain, to have ground to bewail our Ignorance...We admire...the Fibres of every Muscle, and ought still more to admire their disposition in the Brain, where an infinite number of them contained in a very small Space, do each execute their particular Offices without confusion or disorder.”

Needs Stills Space Views Numbers Brain Ignorance Particular Ought Office Mass Infinite Admire Confusion Muscles Disorder Disposition Small Spaces Dissection

Author:Nicolas Steno

“To solve a problem is to create new problems, new knowledge immediately reveals new areas of ignorance, and the need for new experiments. At least, in the field of fast reactions, the experiments do not take very long to perform.”

Needs Long Problem Science Knowledge Fields Ignorance Solutions Areas Solve Experiments Reactions Ignorant New Knowledge

Author:George Porter