--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man who knows the world will not only…" description: "\"A man who knows the world will not only make the most of everything he does know, but of many things he does not know, and will gain more credit by his..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/charles-caleb-colton-270_awkward_a-man-who-knows-the-world-will-not-only_2018413.jpg" --- # A man who knows the world will not only make the most of… ![“A man who knows the world will not only make the most of everything he does know, but of many things he does not know, and will gain more credit by his adroit mode of hiding his ignorance than the pedant by his awkward attempt to exhibit his erudition.” quote by Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/charles-caleb-colton-270_awkward_a-man-who-knows-the-world-will-not-only_2018413.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/charles-caleb-colton-270_awkward_a-man-who-knows-the-world-will-not-only_2018413.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/charles-caleb-colton-270_awkward_a-man-who-knows-the-world-will-not-only_2018413.jpg) > “A man who knows the world will not only make the most of everything he does know, but of many things he does not know, and will gain more credit by his adroit mode of hiding his ignorance than the pedant by his awkward attempt to exhibit his erudition.” [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Recognizing what you know and acknowledging what you don’t can earn respect more than flaunting false expertise. **In simple terms:** Admitting ignorance can be more respectable than pretending to know everything. Key Takeaway Value humility over pretentiousness. Themes humility knowledge respect Mood thoughtful reflective Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - academic discussions - leadership meetings - networking events Key Concepts epistemic humility social perception Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance honesty about unknowns with confidence? - When is it strategic to reveal gaps in knowledge? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on ignorance may be seen as weakness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Credit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/credit/) [Erudition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/erudition/) [Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I'll show you how," Peter said. "Stop hiding behind your ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-wynne-jones/i-ll-show-you-how-peter-said-stop-hiding-behind-your-ignorance/) [Diana Wynne Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-wynne-jones/) > [There are in fact four very significant stumbling blocks in the way of grasping the truth, which hinder every man however learned, and scarcely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bacon/there-are-in-fact-four-very-significant-stumbling-blocks-in-the-way/) [Roger Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bacon/) > [The learned languages are indispensable to form the gentleman and the scholar, and are well worth all the labor that they have cost us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/the-learned-languages-are-indispensable-to-form-the-gentleman-and-the/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Folly disgusts us less by her ignorance than pedantry by her learning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/folly-disgusts-us-less-by-her-ignorance-than-pedantry-by-her-learning/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Pedantry crams our heads with learned lumber and takes out our brains to make room for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/pedantry-crams-our-heads-with-learned-lumber-and-takes-out-our-brains/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Literature has her quacks no less than medicine, and they are divided into two classes; those who have erudition without genius, and those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/literature-has-her-quacks-no-less-than-medicine-and-they-are-divided/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [All preceptors should have that kind of genius described by Tacitus, "equal to their business, but not above it;" a patient industry, with competent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/all-preceptors-should-have-that-kind-of-genius-described-by-tacitus/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [No scientist knows the world merely by holding it at arm's length: if we ever managed to build the objectivist wall between the knower…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/no-scientist-knows-the-world-merely-by-holding-it-at-arm-s-length-if/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [He who best knows the world will love it least.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/he-who-best-knows-the-world-will-love-it-least/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [Who knows but that you will get up to find that the world has inverted itself yet again?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-whalen-turner/who-knows-but-that-you-will-get-up-to-find-that-the-world-has/) [Megan Whalen Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-whalen-turner/) > [Who knows but the world may end tonight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-browning/who-knows-but-the-world-may-end-tonight/) [Robert Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-browning/) > [Man knows that the world is not made on a human scale; and he wishes that it were.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-malraux/man-knows-that-the-world-is-not-made-on-a-human-scale-and-he-wishes/) [Andre Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) > [“Every good operative knows that the world is small, but the planet is big.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-carter/every-good-operative-knows-that-the-world-is-small-but-the-planet-is/) [Ally Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-carter/) > [If you see your nature, you don't need to read sutras or invoke buddhas. Erudition and knowledge are not only useless but also cloud…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bodhidharma/if-you-see-your-nature-you-don-t-need-to-read-sutras-or-invoke/) [Bodhidharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bodhidharma/) > [The first principle of solid wisdom is discretion, without it all the erudition of life is merely bagatelle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norm-macdonald/the-first-principle-of-solid-wisdom-is-discretion-without-it-all-the/) [Norm MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norm-macdonald/) ## More by Charles Caleb Colton > [Villainy that is vigilant will be an overmatch for virtue, if she slumber at her post.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/villainy-that-is-vigilant-will-be-an-overmatch-for-virtue-if-she/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [A beautiful woman, if poor, should use double circumspection; for her beauty will tempt others, her poverty herself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/a-beautiful-woman-if-poor-should-use-double-circumspection-for-her/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Were the life of man prolonged, he would become such a proficient in villainy, that it would become necessary again to drown or to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/were-the-life-of-man-prolonged-he-would-become-such-a-proficient-in/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [To dare to live alone is the rarest courage; since there are many who had rather meet their bitterest enemy in the field, than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/to-dare-to-live-alone-is-the-rarest-courage-since-there-are-many-who/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [It is doubtful whether mankind are most indebted to those who like Bacon and Butler dig the gold from the mine of literature, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/it-is-doubtful-whether-mankind-are-most-indebted-to-those-who-like/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Be very slow to believe that you are wiser than all others; it is a fatal but common error. 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