--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is not bigotry to be certain we are…" description: "\"It is not bigotry to be certain we are right; but it is bigotry to be unable to imagine how we might possibly have gone wrong.\" — Anonymous" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/anonymous-1_bigotry_it-is-not-bigotry-to-be-certain-we-are-r_2268812.jpg" --- # It is not bigotry to be certain we are right; but it is… ![“It is not bigotry to be certain we are right; but it is bigotry to be unable to imagine how we might possibly have gone wrong.” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/anonymous-1_bigotry_it-is-not-bigotry-to-be-certain-we-are-r_2268812.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/anonymous-1_bigotry_it-is-not-bigotry-to-be-certain-we-are-r_2268812.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/anonymous-1_bigotry_it-is-not-bigotry-to-be-certain-we-are-r_2268812.jpg) > “It is not bigotry to be certain we are right; but it is bigotry to be unable to imagine how we might possibly have gone wrong.” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True bigotry lies in refusing to consider one's own possible errors, not in confidence of being right. **In simple terms:** Open‑mindedness prevents bigotry. Key Takeaway Stay open to being wrong. Themes humility open‑mindedness critical thinking Mood reflective serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - debates - education - leadership - personal growth Key Concepts cognitive bias self‑reflection Questions to Reflect On - How do you handle being proven wrong? - What steps help you consider alternative views? A Different Perspective Confidence can blind judgment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bigotry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigotry/) [Bigotry Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigotry-certain-3407840/) [Bigotry Unable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigotry-unable-5249717/) [Catholic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholic/) [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Gone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gone/) [Imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagine/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Right Bigotry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-bigotry-5249718/) [Unable Imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unable-imagine-759827/) ## Related quotes > [Here we now have the freedom of all religions, and I hope that never again will we have a repetition of religious bigotry, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/here-we-now-have-the-freedom-of-all-religions-and-i-hope-that-never/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [We have gone a long way toward civilization and religious tolerance, and we have a good example in this country. Here the many Protestant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/we-have-gone-a-long-way-toward-civilization-and-religious-tolerance/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [Well, I for one am unable to imagine how anybody who lives with an intelligent and devoted dog can every be lonely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-von-arnim/well-i-for-one-am-unable-to-imagine-how-anybody-who-lives-with-an/) [Elizabeth von Arnim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-von-arnim/) > [The petit-bourgeois is a man unable to imagine the Other. If he comes face to face with him, he blinds himself, ignores and denies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-barthes/the-petit-bourgeois-is-a-man-unable-to-imagine-the-other-if-he-comes/) [Roland Barthes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-barthes/) > [“When a group has internalised their oppression, they may find themselves unable to imagine living without it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malebo-sephodi/when-a-group-has-internalised-their-oppression-they-may-find/) [Malebo Sephodi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malebo-sephodi/) > [“There are those who cannot imagine a world without birds; there are those who cannot imagine a world without water; but in my case…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/there-are-those-who-cannot-imagine-a-world-without-birds-there-are/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [Man is able to do what he is unable to imagine. His head trails a wake through the galaxy of the absurd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-char/man-is-able-to-do-what-he-is-unable-to-imagine-his-head-trails-a-wake/) [Rene Char](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-char/) > [“...to encounter me now at age sixty-six is to be unable to imagine me at fifteen...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/to-encounter-me-now-at-age-sixty-six-is-to-be-unable-to-imagine-me-at/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [Real filth is the one inside. The rest simply washes off. There is only one type of dirt that cannot be cleansed with pure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/real-filth-is-the-one-inside-the-rest-simply-washes-off-there-is-only/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Bigotry is an incapacity to conceive seriously the alternative to a proposition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/bigotry-is-an-incapacity-to-conceive-seriously-the-alternative-to-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“A tense account of the perils facing those who sought freedom in the lead-up to the Civil War.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-tense-account-of-the-perils-facing-those-who-sought-freedom-in-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Bigotry has always been the poison of America, and we oughta do everything to eradicate it with no excuses or explanations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/bigotry-has-always-been-the-poison-of-america-and-we-oughta-do/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Am I an Apple bigot? No. I can critique their products and their customer service philosophy. But overall, they do better than any other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/am-i-an-apple-bigot-no-i-can-critique-their-products-and-their/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The Potter books in general are a prolonged argument for tolerance, a prolonged plea for an end to bigotry. And I think it's one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-potter-books-in-general-are-a-prolonged-argument-for-tolerance-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Fear and Bigotry are bred fom isolation and ignorance. -Shekinah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fear-and-bigotry-are-bred-fom-isolation-and-ignorance-shekinah/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Bigotry quotes > [“The mission is, not to replace old world mindlessness with new world mindlessness, but to put an end to all forms of brainless authoritarianism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/the-mission-is-not-to-replace-old-world-mindlessness-with-new-world/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [To take up half on trust, and half to try, Name it not faith but bungling bigotry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/to-take-up-half-on-trust-and-half-to-try-name-it-not-faith-but/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [ What are you for? It may be, to a degree, consoling that white brothers and sisters did not vote for \[Donald\] Trump, and do… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/what-are-you-for-it-may-be-to-a-degree-consoling-that-white-brothers/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [Bigoted people are just scholars who lack any sort of legitimate credentials to answer why they're bigoted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doctavius/bigoted-people-are-just-scholars-who-lack-any-sort-of-legitimate/) [Doctavius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doctavius/) > [Sadly, we can't eliminate bigotry. But that doesn't mean we have to tolerate it, much less give it a platform on which to thrive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-viner/sadly-we-can-t-eliminate-bigotry-but-that-doesn-t-mean-we-have-to/) [Katharine Viner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-viner/) > [Ideological bigotry has become the norm on even our most prestigious campuses, where students can go for years without reading or hearing anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/ideological-bigotry-has-become-the-norm-on-even-our-most-prestigious/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“People talk about history and things like slavery, genocide, and religious persecution as horrors that happened in the past because we were ignorant. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-matthew-nespoli/people-talk-about-history-and-things-like-slavery-genocide-and/) [J. Matthew Nespoli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-matthew-nespoli/) > [“Remember who you are. This creature wants to take it from you. Do not let him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/remember-who-you-are-this-creature-wants-to-take-it-from-you-do-not/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [“Oh Beautiful For A Land That's Free Where All Can Congregate Together Live With No Degree Of Bigotry And Hate”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-bee/oh-beautiful-for-a-land-that-s-free-where-all-can-congregate-together/) [Kathy Bee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-bee/) > [“That’s the problem with indoctrination—the whole point of the First Order’s kind of education is to stop someone from thinking and instead kick their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delilah-s-dawson/that-s-the-problem-with-indoctrination-the-whole-point-of-the-first/) [Delilah S. Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/delilah-s-dawson/) > [Too small is our world to allow discrimination, bigotry and intolerance to thrive in any corner of it, let alone in the United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-engel/too-small-is-our-world-to-allow-discrimination-bigotry-and/) [Eliot Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-engel/) > [... happily the Government of the United States... gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/happily-the-government-of-the-united-states-gives-to-bigotry-no/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [“This book would be a great addition to a classroom library, especially considering its emphases on timeless and critical topics like discrimination and prejudice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-lovejoy/this-book-would-be-a-great-addition-to-a-classroom-library-especially/) [Sharon Lovejoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-lovejoy/) > [Pat Buchanan... was fired by MSNBC for doing nothing more than voicing his rock-solid conservative thoughts on the otherwise failing network... The real message…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/pat-buchanan-was-fired-by-msnbc-for-doing-nothing-more-than-voicing/) [Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/) > [Fear and Bigotry are bred fom isolation and ignorance. -Shekinah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fear-and-bigotry-are-bred-fom-isolation-and-ignorance-shekinah/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 661 Bigotry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigotry/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is not bigotry to be certain we are right; but it is bigotry to be unable to imagine how we might possibly have gone wrong.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anonymous" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-not-bigotry-to-be-certain-we-are-right-but-it-is-bigotry-to-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bigotry" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-not-bigotry-to-be-certain-we-are-right-but-it-is-bigotry-to-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/anonymous-1_bigotry_it-is-not-bigotry-to-be-certain-we-are-r_2268812.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/anonymous-1_bigotry_it-is-not-bigotry-to-be-certain-we-are-r_2268812.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/anonymous-1_bigotry_it-is-not-bigotry-to-be-certain-we-are-r_2268812.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is not bigotry to be certain we are right; but it is bigotry to be unable to imagine how we might…” — Anonymous", "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": "Anonymous", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is not bigotry to be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-not-bigotry-to-be-certain-we-are-right-but-it-is-bigotry-to-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-not-bigotry-to-be-certain-we-are-right-but-it-is-bigotry-to-be/#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 } } ] } ```