Skip to content
quotesby

The ignorant are a reservoir of daring. It almost seems that those who have yet to discover the known are particularly equipped for dealing with the unknown. The unlearned have often rushed in where the learned feared to tread, and it is the credulous who are tempted to attempt the impossible. They know not whither they are going, and give chance a chance.

Eric Hoffer#111

ActionKnowledgeRiskCourageIgnorance

About this quote

What does it mean?
Ignorance can create boldness because fear of the known is absent. The unlearned often attempt impossible tasks simply because they do not know the risks.
In plain terms
People who know less are often braver because they do not fear the unknown.
What can you take from it?
Lack of knowledge can fuel daring and unexpected achievements.

Where it applies

  • innovation
  • exploration
  • learning

Putting it to work

  • encourage curiosity
  • tolerate mistakes
  • balance knowledge and action

Questions to consider

  • Is ignorance a source of courage?
  • When should knowledge stop action?

Another view

Ignorance can also lead to reckless decisions without real benefit.

More from Eric Hoffer

  1. What monstrosities would walk the streets were some people's faces as unfinished as their minds.

    Permalink to quote #110
  2. To the excessively fearful the chief characteristic of power is its arbitrariness. Man had to gain enormously in confidence before he could conceive an all-pow…

    Permalink to quote #112
  3. One wonders whether a generation that demands instant satisfaction of all its needs and instant solution of the world's problems will produce anything of lasti…

    Permalink to quote #109

Related quotes

  1. I couldn't do them if I didn't know horses lived behind them.

    Charles KeepingCharles Keeping quote #1
  2. Don't fear failure so much that you refuse to try new things. The saddest summary of a life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should hav…

    Louis E. BooneLouis E. Boone quote #1
  3. You might say, what if I screw up? Then screw up big! Go for it! Do a big screwup!

    Anthony RobbinsAnthony Robbins quote #3