Famous quotes
Quotes by famous people, credited to who said them. Your own quotes must not match any of these. More are added all the time. 1,158,808 quotes Who coined it · How we decide
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“How merciful a thing is man’s ignorance of his immediate future! What a ghastly, paralysing thing it would have been if all those present could have known what was about to happen within a matter of seconds!”
Mervyn Peake (1911–1968) said by 1968 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A house built on granite and strong foundations, not even the onslaught of pouring rain, gushing torrents and strong winds will be able to pull down. Some people have written the story of my life representing as truth what in fact derives from ignorance, error or envy; but they cannot shake the truth from its place, even if they attempt to make others believe it.”
Haile Selassie (1892–1975) said by 1975 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The truth is, going against the internal stream of ignorance is way more rebellious than trying to start some sort of cultural revolution.”
Noah Levine (born 1971) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Sedate ignorance is the last stage of deterioration.”
Henry S. Haskins (1875–1957) said by 1957 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The pure righteous do not complain of the dark, but increase the light; they do not complain of evil, but increase justice; they do not complain of heresy, but increase faith; they do not complain of ignorance, but increase wisdom.”
Abraham Isaac Kook (1865–1935) first seen 1914 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Arpilei Tohar (1914), p. 2.
“The gentlemen who wrote the Constitution were as suspicious of efficient government as they were wary of democracy, a "turbulence and a folly" that was associated with the unruly ignorance of an urban mob.”
Lewis H. Lapham (1935–2024) said by 2024 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Physical processes alone will never completely explain the existence of the universe, life, and consciousness. Religious answers are just wishful thinking and wanton fabrication cast over a bottomless pit of ignorance. To explain their occult and mystical experiences, magicians are forced to develop models beyond the scope of materialistic or religious systems.”
Peter J. Carroll (1953–2026) said by 2026 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“But it is better to be destroyed on strange frontiers than to live in a prison of ignorance and fear.”
Edmund Cooper (1926–1982) said by 1982 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I am rebelling against imprisonment, I am rebelling against tyranny of the mind, I am rebelling against a collection of machines with interchangeable faces. Above all, I am rebelling against my own ignorance and your deliberate deception.”
Edmund Cooper (1926–1982) said by 1982 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“To be ignorant of one's ignorance is the malady of the ignorant.”
Amos Bronson Alcott (1799–1888) said by 1888 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Also quoted by: Amos Bronson Alcott (attributed)
“Human rights include the rights of all, not only man, but woman, not only white but black; wherever there is a being called human, his rights are as full and expressive as his existence, and ought to be without limits or distinction of sex, country, or color…and only ignorance, superstition, and tyranny — both the basis and the influence of the Bible - deprive him of it.”
Ernestine Rose (1810–1892) said by 1892 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Through ignorance, through faith, through intelligence, through trickery and cunning, through illumination, the reader rewrites the text with the same words of the original but under another heading, re-creating it, as it were, in the very act of bringing it into being.”
Alberto Manguel (born 1948) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“If ignorance is bliss, then I'm in heaven now.”
Josh Homme (born 1973) first seen 2007 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: 3's & 7's", Era Vulgaris (2007)
“Anything gained through ignorance is destined to be lost in the same way.”
Siddharth Katragadda (born 1972) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Religion can often be the fastest route to ignorance.”
Siddharth Katragadda (born 1972) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I was at Notre Dame just a few years ago, and one of the professors there said to me, “You don’t know what effect In Defense of Ignorance had. It ripped the whole academic community in half!” I’m glad I wrote the book. I like it, and I still stand by my observations, although I wouldn’t write it so violently now. I guess I really am in the Whitman tradition.”
Karl Shapiro (1913–2000) said by 2000 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“37. First of all pray to be purified from your passions. Secondly, pray to be delivered from ignorance. Thirdly, pray to be freed from all temptation and abandonment.”
Evagrius Ponticus (345–399) said by 399 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Our comforting conviction that the world makes sense rests on a secure foundation: our almost unlimited ability to ignore our ignorance.”
Daniel Kahneman (1934–2024) said by 2024 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“He struggled to keep his temper. It struck him that both Marta and Chiara took advantage of him by attacking him with their ignorance, or call it innocence. A serious thinking adult had no defence against innocence because he was obliged to respect it, whereas the innocent scarcely knows what respect is, or seriousness either.”
Penelope Fitzgerald (1916–2000) said by 2000 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Creators of history always play with our impotence and our ignorance.”
Dejan Stojanovic (born 1959) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Nearly every tale that men tell of magic and witches and such is born out of foolishness and ignorance and sickness of mind—or is a way of explaining things they do not understand.”
Susan Cooper (born 1935) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Unlike Agents Vann and Shane here, who are being wholly disingenuous, you might be speaking out of genuine ignorance and not just your usual levels of casual obstructionism.”
John Scalzi (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Wisdom is the fruit of communion; ignorance the inevitable portion of those who "keep themselves to themselves," and stand apart, judging, analysing the things which they have truly never known.”
Evelyn Underhill (1875–1941) said by 1941 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It is a lonely and arduous excursion, a sufficient test of courage and sincerity: for most men prefer to dwell in comfortable ignorance upon the lower slopes, and there to make of their obvious characteristics a drapery which shall veil the naked truth.”
Evelyn Underhill (1875–1941) said by 1941 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Chamberlain's sins were not his intentions, but rather his ignorance and arrogance in failing to appraise the situation properly. And in that failure he was not alone.”
Joseph Nye (1937–2025) said by 2025 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Enemies are at work day and night in the material realm. Chief among these are ignorance, carelessness, and greed. Operating independently or together, they have wrought enormous destruction.”
Kirby Page (1890–1957) said by 1957 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Christianity also owes me an explanation... For the bigotry, the wickedness, the inhumanity and the wilful ignorance which has also characterized much of its history.”
Melvyn Bragg (born 1939) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“If we admit the existence of the prophetic mission, by putting the idea of possibility, which is in fact ignorance, in place of certainty, and make miracles a proof of the truth of man who claims to be a prophet it becomes necessary that they should not be used by a person, who says that they can be performed by others than prophets, as the Mutakallimun do.”
Averroes (1126–1198) said by 1198 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“If understanding followed no rule at all, there would be no good in the understanding nor in the matter understood, and to remain in ignorance would be the greatest good.”
Ramon Llull (1232–1316) said by 1316 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Hundred Names of God cited in: Margaret A. Boden (2006) Mind As Machine: A History of Cognitive Science. Vol 1. p. 56
“Reading is the way out of ignorance, and the road to achievement.”
Ben Carson (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The truth is that there is really no "profane realm" that could in any way be opposed to a "sacred realm"; there is only a "profane point of view", which is really none other than the point of view of ignorance.”
René Guénon (1886–1951) said by 1951 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I write to discover something, not so much to set down what I already know. I see ignorance and confusion all around me. I see these things in myself. I'm subject of all kinds of fears and conflicting desires. But one of those desires, the sanest one, is to see through the confusion.”
Philip Ó Ceallaigh (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Thank you for your news, Princess. It is none of it happy, but only a fool desires cheerful ignorance and I try not to be a fool. That is my heaviest burden.”
Tad Williams (born 1957) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Society is, always has been and always will be a structure for the exploitation and oppression of the majority through systems of political force dictated by an élite, enforced by thugs, uniformed or not, and upheld by a wilful ignorance and stupidity on the part of the very majority whom the system oppresses.”
Richard Morgan (born 1965) first seen 2002 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Richard Morgan (2002) in: "Never Mind the Cyberpunks: An Interview with Richard Morgan" at SaxonBullock.com, published by SlateMagazine.co.uk, 2002
“I came from Yemen, the country of civilization, the Yemen that was led by two women, and it was one of the greatest countries in the world. We were led by a dictatorship regime, a corrupted regime. This regime was founded in killing others...My country has a lot of poverty, from a lot of diseases, from ignorance. And these are some of the reasons that led us to lead this revolution.”
Tawakkol Karman (born 1979) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Terrorists who kill in the name of Islam … are condemned to eternal hell, they are exploiting some young Muslims, particularly in Europe, exploiting their ignorance of Arabic and true Islam to relay their messages and false promises.”
Mohammed VI of Morocco (born 1963) first seen 2016 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted by — Moroccan king calls on diaspora to reject Islamic extremism (August 21, 2016)
“One should become aware of oneself, indivisible, and perfect; free from identification with all things transient, such as one’s body, functions, mind, and the sense of being the doer, for all these are the product of ignorance.”
Adi Shankara (788–820) said by 820 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“My young friends, you are soldiers in the battle of freedom-freedom from want, fear, ignorance, frustration and helplessness. By a dint of hard work for the country, rendered in a spirit of selfless service, may you march ahead with hope and courage.”
Bidhan Chandra Roy (1882–1962) said by 1962 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“My young friends, you are soldiers in the battle of freedom- a freedom from want,a freedom from fear,a freedom from ignorance,a freedom from frustration and helplessness....By dint of hard work for the country, rendered in a spirit of selfless service may you march ahead with hope and courage...Remember in this dynamic world you must go forward or else you will be left behind...”
Bidhan Chandra Roy (1882–1962) said by 1962 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“As the origin and basis of all religions, it cannot be the antagonist of any: it is indeed their purifier, revealing the valuable inner meaning of much that has become mischievous in its external presentation by the perverseness of ignorance and the accretions of superstition; but it recognises and defends itself in each, and seeks in each to unveil its hidden wisdom. p. 21”
Annie Besant (1847–1933) said by 1933 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We went against Czecho-Slovak regime with fire and iron. We had always looked on Czechoslovak republic as on not-viable mess of human malice and ignorance and we knew very well, that this artificially glued and "so called state" nasty do not have any right for existence.”
János Esterházy (1901–1957) first seen 1940 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: About relationship to Czechoslovakia. Parliamentary speech on November 26, 1940. Meeting of The Slovak Assembly, November 26, 1940. The Joint Czech and Slovak Digital Parliament Library.
“Ignorance is a low-energy state. It takes constant vigilance and work to climb out of it.”
Steven Novella (born 1964) first seen 2012 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: SGU, Podcast #352 – April 14th, 2012
“Every man must be taken to be cognizant of the law, otherwise there is no saying to what extent the excuse of ignorance may not be Law carried. It would be urged in almost every case.”
Edward Law, 1st Baron Ellenborough (1750–1818) first seen 1802 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Bilbie v. Lumley (1802), 2 East, 469.
“It matters little that there are thousands of beings plunged in the densest ignorance; He whom we saw yesterday is on earth; his presence is enough to prove that a day will come when darkness shall be transformed into light, and Thy reign shall actually be established upon earth.”
Mirra Alfassa (1878–1973) said by 1973 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: When she met Sri Aurobindo for the first time with her husband Richards at rue Fransçois Martin at Pondicherry, quoted in "Diary notes and Meeting with Sri Aurobindo", and also in Biblio, Volume 3 Asia-Pacific Communica…
“Robert Clive was a vicious asset-stripper. His statue has no place on Whitehall. Honouring the man once known as Lord Vulture is a testament to British ignorance of our imperial past.”
William Dalrymple (historian) first seen 2020 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: In The Guardian, 11 Jun 2020.
“Racism originated not in ignorance and fear but as part of an enlightened enterprise of intellectual discovery.”
Dinesh D'Souza (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The deva asked, What causes ruin in the world? What breaks off friendships? What is the most violent fever? Who is the best physician?" The Blessed One replied, Ruin in the world is caused by ignorance; friendships are broken off by envy and selfishness; the most violent fever is hatred; the best physician is the Buddha.”
Paul Carus (1852–1919) first seen 1894 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Gospel of Buddha (1894), a compilation of translations from ancient records.
“All science is full of statements where you put the best face on your ignorance, where you say: true enough, we know awfully little about this, but more or less irrespective of the stuff we don't know about, we can make certain useful deductions.”
Hermann Bondi (1919–2005) first seen 1967 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Hermann Bondi, Assumption and Myth in Physical Theory, (1967) p. 11
“Very often, unfortunately the wrong kind of publicity appears in the press...That happens. Is God free from it? Was Mahatma Gandhi free from it? It’s due to ignorance also. Some of these people deliberately misquote.”
Morarji Desai (1896–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Education is the principal tool of socio-economic development and unless all societies are provided with right type of education, adequate in quality and quantity, it will not be possible to tackle satisfactorily the problem of ignorance of health and poverty which afflicts the majority of human beings in the world.”
V. V. Giri (1894–1980) said by 1980 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Gopal Bhargava in: Child Labour, Gyan Publishing House, 1 January 2003, P.96