--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I say something which you understand…" description: "\"If I say something which you understand fully in this regard, I probably made a mistake.\" — Alan Greenspan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2b/alan-greenspan-1834_failure_if-i-say-something-which-you-understand_2247806.png" --- # If I say something which you understand fully in this… ![“If I say something which you understand fully in this regard, I probably made a mistake.” quote by Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2b/alan-greenspan-1834_failure_if-i-say-something-which-you-understand_2247806.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2b/alan-greenspan-1834_failure_if-i-say-something-which-you-understand_2247806.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2b/alan-greenspan-1834_failure_if-i-say-something-which-you-understand_2247806.png) > “If I say something which you understand fully in this regard, I probably made a mistake.” [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When you think you fully understand something, you likely missed nuance or made an error. **In simple terms:** Full confidence often hides mistakes. Key Takeaway Question assumptions before concluding. Themes communication humility learning error Mood cautious inquisitive Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - team meetings - policy analysis - personal study - public speaking Key Concepts cognitive bias critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - When have you mistaken certainty for understanding? - What checks can prevent this? A Different Perspective Overconfidence can lead to blind spots. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) ## Related quotes > [That was probably the mistake of my generation, that we thought that having sex with anyone would be intimate and it wasn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/that-was-probably-the-mistake-of-my-generation-that-we-thought-that/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [It was probably a mistake to allow gold to rise so high.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-volcker/it-was-probably-a-mistake-to-allow-gold-to-rise-so-high/) [Paul Volcker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-volcker/) > [I probably made a mistake at Florida trying to change schematically from what they had done before. As a result, we ended up not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-muschamp/i-probably-made-a-mistake-at-florida-trying-to-change-schematically/) [Will Muschamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-muschamp/) > [You will remember some of what you hear; much of what you read; more of what you see, and almost all of what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-l-moore/you-will-remember-some-of-what-you-hear-much-of-what-you-read-more-of/) [Keith L. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-l-moore/) > [When we can say no not only to things that are wrong and sinful, but also to things pleasant, profitable, and good which would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-warren-stoddard/when-we-can-say-no-not-only-to-things-that-are-wrong-and-sinful-but/) Charles Warren Stoddard > [“Out of this sorrowful experience I understand more fully all human strivings, thwarted ambitions, and the infinite capacity of hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/out-of-this-sorrowful-experience-i-understand-more-fully-all-human/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [We live life looking forward and only understand it fully looking backward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-live-life-looking-forward-and-only-understand-it-fully-looking/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“But now I understand something more fully that I once only understood abstractly. 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But to understand it fully,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-baggini/believers-are-right-when-they-say-that-to-understand-a-religion/) [Julian Baggini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-baggini/) > [I made a mistake in presuming that the self-interests of organisations, specifically banks and others, were such that they were best capable of protecting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/i-made-a-mistake-in-presuming-that-the-self-interests-of/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [My impression is that the people who say most understand least.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-thompson/my-impression-is-that-the-people-who-say-most-understand-least/) [Sylvia Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-thompson/) > [“They say it is hard to raise children. They say I would understand it when I have children of my own. They say I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcella-purnama/they-say-it-is-hard-to-raise-children-they-say-i-would-understand-it/) [Marcella Purnama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcella-purnama/) > [Your job as actors is to understand the size of what you say, to understand what's beneath the word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-adler/your-job-as-actors-is-to-understand-the-size-of-what-you-say-to/) [Stella Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-adler/) > [Before saying 'I disagree' be sure you can say 'I understand.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-e-olson/before-saying-i-disagree-be-sure-you-can-say-i-understand/) [Roger E. Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-e-olson/) > [Everyone is only responsible for what he/she say. NOT what other understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/everyone-is-only-responsible-for-what-he-she-say-not-what-other/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) ## More by Alan Greenspan > [Crony capitalism is essentially a condition in which... public officials are giving favours to people in the private sector in payment of political favours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/crony-capitalism-is-essentially-a-condition-in-which-public-officials/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [At the risk of some oversimplification, if the skill composition of our work force meshed fully with the needs of our increasingly complex capital-stock,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/at-the-risk-of-some-oversimplification-if-the-skill-composition-of/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [To succeed, you will soon learn, as I did, the importance of a solid foundation in the basics of education - literacy, both verbal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/to-succeed-you-will-soon-learn-as-i-did-the-importance-of-a-solid/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [I've always argued that this country has benefited immensely from the fact that we draw people from all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/i-ve-always-argued-that-this-country-has-benefited-immensely-from-the/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [I cannot conceive of a politically feasible solution to this problem which will overdo cutting the deficit, where overdoing means harming the economy. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/i-cannot-conceive-of-a-politically-feasible-solution-to-this-problem/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [Before I met Ayn Rand, I was a logical positivist, and accordingly, I didn't believe in absolutes, moral or otherwise. If I couldn't prove…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/before-i-met-ayn-rand-i-was-a-logical-positivist-and-accordingly-i/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [ Skilled shortages in America exist because we are shielding our skilled labor force from world competition. \[Visa quotas\] have been substituted for the wage… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/skilled-shortages-in-america-exist-because-we-are-shielding-our/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [A decline in the national housing price level would need to be substantial to trigger a significant rise in foreclosures, because the vast majority…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/a-decline-in-the-national-housing-price-level-would-need-to-be/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [Although the outlook is clouded by a number of uncertainties, the central tendencies of the projections .. imply continued good economic performance in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/although-the-outlook-is-clouded-by-a-number-of-uncertainties-the/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [At the outset of the creation of the euro in 1999, it was expected that the southern eurozone economies would behave like those in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/at-the-outset-of-the-creation-of-the-euro-in-1999-it-was-expected/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [We may be in a rapidly evolving international financial system with all the bells and whistles of the so-called new economy. But the old-economy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/we-may-be-in-a-rapidly-evolving-international-financial-system-with/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [The guiding purpose of the government regulator is to prevent rather than to create something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/the-guiding-purpose-of-the-government-regulator-is-to-prevent-rather/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [“government regulation cannot substitute for individual integrity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/government-regulation-cannot-substitute-for-individual-integrity/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [...our market system depends critically on trust-trust in the word of our colleagues and trust in the word of those with whom we do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/our-market-system-depends-critically-on-trust-trust-in-the-word-of/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [It's hard to overemphasize how important Ford's deregulation was. True, most of the benefits took years to unfold-rail freight rates, for example hardly budged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/it-s-hard-to-overemphasize-how-important-ford-s-deregulation-was-true/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) [Explore all 204 Alan Greenspan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I say something which you understand fully in this regard, I probably made a mistake.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alan Greenspan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/if-i-say-something-which-you-understand-fully-in-this-regard-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Failure" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/if-i-say-something-which-you-understand-fully-in-this-regard-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2b/alan-greenspan-1834_failure_if-i-say-something-which-you-understand_2247806.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2b/alan-greenspan-1834_failure_if-i-say-something-which-you-understand_2247806.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2b/alan-greenspan-1834_failure_if-i-say-something-which-you-understand_2247806.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If I say something which you understand fully in this regard, I probably made a mistake.” — Alan Greenspan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alan Greenspan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If I say something which you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/if-i-say-something-which-you-understand-fully-in-this-regard-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/if-i-say-something-which-you-understand-fully-in-this-regard-i/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```