The Quotes canon

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Knowledge32 quotes
All men by nature desire to know. — Aristotle · 322 BCYou're on a need-to-know basis, and you don't need to know. — Stanley Goodspeed · 1996You take the blue pill—the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill—you stay in wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes. — Morpheus · 1999Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information? — T.S. Eliot · 1934As we know, there are known knowns-there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns-that is to say, we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns, the ones we don’t know we don’t know. — Donald Rumsfeld · 2002Knowledge can be communicated but not wisdom. — Hermann Hesse · 1922All 32 quotes →
Wisdom6 quotes
Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information? — T.S. Eliot · 1934Knowledge can be communicated but not wisdom. — Hermann Hesse · 1922Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers. — Alfred Tennyson · 1842My life has been a quest for knowledge and understanding, and I am nowhere near having achieved that. And it doesn’t bother me in the least. — Alex Trebek · 2020Wisdom is not communicable. The wisdom which a wise man tries to communicate always sounds foolish... Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. — Hermann Hesse · 1922In much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. — Ecclesiastes 1:18 · 931 BC
Epistemology5 quotes
As we know, there are known knowns-there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns-that is to say, we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns, the ones we don’t know we don’t know. — Donald Rumsfeld · 2002In truth we know nothing, for truth lies in the depth. — Democritus · 240Let us now suppose that in the mind of each man there is an aviary of all sorts of birds-some flocking together apart from the rest, others in small groups, others solitary, flying anywhere and everywhere... We may suppose that the birds are kinds of knowledge, and that when we were children, the receptacle was empty; whenever a man has gotten and detained in the enclosure a kind of knowledge, he may be said to have learned or discovered the thing which is the subject of the knowledge: and this is to know. — Socrates · 369 BCTo know anything well involves a profound sensation of ignorance. — John Ruskin · 1856When you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meager and unsatisfactory kind: it may be the beginning of knowledge, but you have scarcely, in your thoughts, advanced to the stage of science. — William Thomson, Lord Kelvin · 1883
Let us now suppose that in the mind of each man there is an aviary of all sorts of birds-some flocking together apart from the rest, others in small groups, others solitary, flying anywhere and everywhere... We may suppose that the birds are kinds of knowledge, and that when we were children, the receptacle was empty; whenever a man has gotten and detained in the enclosure a kind of knowledge, he may be said to have learned or discovered the thing which is the subject of the knowledge: and this is to know. — Socrates · 369 BCThe fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing. — Archilochus · 600 BCFor knowledge itself is a power whereby he knoweth. — Francis Bacon · 1605For all knowledge and wonder (which is the seed of knowledge) is an impression of pleasure in itself. — Francis Bacon · 1605
Curiosity2 quotes
All men by nature desire to know. — Aristotle · 322 BCMy life has been a quest for knowledge and understanding, and I am nowhere near having achieved that. And it doesn’t bother me in the least. — Alex Trebek · 2020
Ignorance2 quotes
To know anything well involves a profound sensation of ignorance. — John Ruskin · 1856It is better, of course, to know useless things than to know nothing. — Seneca · 65
Imagination2 quotes
To know is nothing at all; to imagine is everything. — Anatole France · 1881Imagination is more important than knowledge. — Albert Einstein · 1929
Learning2 quotes
Let us now suppose that in the mind of each man there is an aviary of all sorts of birds-some flocking together apart from the rest, others in small groups, others solitary, flying anywhere and everywhere... We may suppose that the birds are kinds of knowledge, and that when we were children, the receptacle was empty; whenever a man has gotten and detained in the enclosure a kind of knowledge, he may be said to have learned or discovered the thing which is the subject of the knowledge: and this is to know. — Socrates · 369 BCThe mind is like a muscle, okay, and if you want it to be really powerful, you got to work it out. Ok? Each new fact gives you another choice. Each new idea builds another muscle, okay, and it’s those muscles that are going to make you really strong. Those are your weapons and in this unsafe world, I want to arm you...Look, okay, if at the end of the term, you’re not faster, stronger, and smarter, you will have lost nothing. But if you are, you’ll be that much tougher to knock down. — Louanne Johnson · 1995
Power2 quotes
Riches, knowledge and honour are but several sorts of power. — Thomas Hobbes · 1651The most hateful torment for men is to have knowledge of everything but power over nothing. — Herodotus · 430 BC
As we know, there are known knowns-there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns-that is to say, we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns, the ones we don’t know we don’t know. — Donald Rumsfeld · 2002
Creativity1 quote
Imagination is more important than knowledge. — Albert Einstein · 1929
Let every sluice of knowledge be opened and set a-flowing. — John Adams · 1765
Emotions1 quote
Life is not a thing of knowing only—nay, mere knowledge has properly no place at all save as it becomes the handmaiden of feeling and emotion. — Learned Hand · 1893
The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing. — Archilochus · 600 BC
All men by nature desire to know. — Aristotle · 322 BC
You take the blue pill—the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill—you stay in wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes. — Morpheus · 1999
Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information? — T.S. Eliot · 1934
You're on a need-to-know basis, and you don't need to know. — Stanley Goodspeed · 1996
The mind is like a muscle, okay, and if you want it to be really powerful, you got to work it out. Ok? Each new fact gives you another choice. Each new idea builds another muscle, okay, and it’s those muscles that are going to make you really strong. Those are your weapons and in this unsafe world, I want to arm you...Look, okay, if at the end of the term, you’re not faster, stronger, and smarter, you will have lost nothing. But if you are, you’ll be that much tougher to knock down. — Louanne Johnson · 1995
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. — William Shakespeare · 1616
Wisdom is not communicable. The wisdom which a wise man tries to communicate always sounds foolish... Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. — Hermann Hesse · 1922
When you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meager and unsatisfactory kind: it may be the beginning of knowledge, but you have scarcely, in your thoughts, advanced to the stage of science. — William Thomson, Lord Kelvin · 1883
Riches, knowledge and honour are but several sorts of power. — Thomas Hobbes · 1651
In truth we know nothing, for truth lies in the depth. — Democritus · 240
Numbers1 quote
When you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meager and unsatisfactory kind: it may be the beginning of knowledge, but you have scarcely, in your thoughts, advanced to the stage of science. — William Thomson, Lord Kelvin · 1883
The most hateful torment for men is to have knowledge of everything but power over nothing. — Herodotus · 430 BC
Life is not a thing of knowing only—nay, mere knowledge has properly no place at all save as it becomes the handmaiden of feeling and emotion. — Learned Hand · 1893
Riches, knowledge and honour are but several sorts of power. — Thomas Hobbes · 1651
Red pill1 quote
You take the blue pill—the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill—you stay in wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes. — Morpheus · 1999
Seeking1 quote
My life has been a quest for knowledge and understanding, and I am nowhere near having achieved that. And it doesn’t bother me in the least. — Alex Trebek · 2020