Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
Knowing falsehoods is worse than not knowing because it misleads actions.
In plain terms
Being sure something is true when it's not is harmful.
What can you take from it?
Check facts before accepting beliefs.

Where it applies

  • making decisions
  • forming opinions

Putting it to work

  • fact‑checking
  • critical thinking

Questions to consider

  • How do you verify what you think you know?
  • When might ignorance be safer?

Another view

Even accurate knowledge can be misused if not applied wisely.

More from Samuel Langhorne Clemens

  1. What gets us into trouble is not what we don't know. It's what we know for sure that just ain't so.

    Permalink to quote #162
  2. All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure.

    Permalink to quote #164
  3. A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.

    Permalink to quote #161

Related quotes

  1. Quelle verite que ces montagnes bornent, qui est mensonge qui se tient au dela?

    Michel de MontaigneMichel de Montaigne quote #31
  2. The greater the ignorance the greater the dogmatism.

    William OslerWilliam Osler quote #1
  3. Impartiality is a pompous name for indifference, which is an elegant name for ignorance.

    Gilbert Keith ChestertonGilbert Keith Chesterton quote #1