--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But knowledge is not as much a…" description: "\"“But knowledge is not as much a prerequisite to understanding as is commonly supposed. We do not have to know everything about something in order to un..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec4/charles-van-doren-26528_knowledge_but-knowledge-is-not-as-much-a-prerequis_3067671.jpg" --- # But knowledge is not as much a prerequisite to… ![“But knowledge is not as much a prerequisite to understanding as is commonly supposed. We do not have to know everything about something in order to understand it; too many facts are often as much of an obstacle to understanding as too few.” quote by Charles Van Doren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec4/charles-van-doren-26528_knowledge_but-knowledge-is-not-as-much-a-prerequis_3067671.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec4/charles-van-doren-26528_knowledge_but-knowledge-is-not-as-much-a-prerequis_3067671.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec4/charles-van-doren-26528_knowledge_but-knowledge-is-not-as-much-a-prerequis_3067671.jpg) > ““But knowledge is not as much a prerequisite to understanding as is commonly supposed. We do not have to know everything about something in order to understand it; too many facts are often as much of an obstacle to understanding as too few.”” [Charles Van Doren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-van-doren/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding does not require exhaustive knowledge; excess facts can hinder insight. **In simple terms:** Too many facts can block understanding. Key Takeaway Focus on core concepts, not all details. Themes learning understanding information overload Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - studying - research - problem solving - decision making Key Concepts cognitive bias critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - What essential facts truly matter? - How can you filter noise? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on data may cause analysis paralysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) ## Related quotes > [Through persistent, effective, and diligent work, a person can accumulate knowledge in the form of facts, data, information, and experience. Intelligence, however, can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-bednar/through-persistent-effective-and-diligent-work-a-person-can/) [David A. Bednar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-bednar/) > [Let us first understand the facts and then we may seek the cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/let-us-first-understand-the-facts-and-then-we-may-seek-the-cause/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [You can understand the facts of life. But facts of love are much different. To love you love someone or someone loves you.. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-understand-the-facts-of-life-but-facts-of-love-are-much/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“One just has to understand the facts as to ‘what is correct’ and ‘what is incorrect’. What is the truth? What is correctness? What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/one-just-has-to-understand-the-facts-as-to-what-is-correct-and-what/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [The more knowledge you've got, the more understanding you have, the better you are able to implement and pass it on to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-orlando/the-more-knowledge-you-ve-got-the-more-understanding-you-have-the/) [Tony Orlando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-orlando/) > [I've always been a believer in research. It's great to have an instinctual human reaction to a character, too, of course, but it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/i-ve-always-been-a-believer-in-research-it-s-great-to-have-an/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [A man may perform astonishing feats and comprehend a vast amount of knowledge, and yet have no understanding of himself. But suffering directs a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/a-man-may-perform-astonishing-feats-and-comprehend-a-vast-amount-of/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [Science has to be understood in its broadest sense, as a method for apprehending all observable reality, and not merely as an instrument for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-carrel/science-has-to-be-understood-in-its-broadest-sense-as-a-method-for/) [Alexis Carrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-carrel/) > [The true foundation of all culture is the knowledge and understanding of water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-schauberger/the-true-foundation-of-all-culture-is-the-knowledge-and-understanding/) [Viktor Schauberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-schauberger/) > [ No one suffers so much as he \[the genius\] with the people, and, therefore, for the people, with whom he lives. For, in a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/no-one-suffers-so-much-as-he-the-genius-with-the-people-and-therefore/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [Mediocre men often have the most acquired knowledge. It is in the darker. It is in the darker regions of science that great men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/mediocre-men-often-have-the-most-acquired-knowledge-it-is-in-the/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) > [Enlightenment is the liberation of man from his self-caused state of minority... Supere aude! Dare to use your own understanding!is thus the motto of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/enlightenment-is-the-liberation-of-man-from-his-self-caused-state-of/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [The wisdom or the essence of Guru Tattwa is a balance. Like when you maintain a plant, if you do not give it water…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmala-srivastava/the-wisdom-or-the-essence-of-guru-tattwa-is-a-balance-like-when-you/) [Nirmala Srivastava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmala-srivastava/) > [I would call myself a Gnostic. Which means, I'm interested in pursuing and understanding the spiritual nature of things. A Gnostic is somebody seeking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-crumb/i-would-call-myself-a-gnostic-which-means-i-m-interested-in-pursuing/) [Robert Crumb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-crumb/) > [“O how incomprehensible everything was, and actually sad, although it was also beautiful. One knew nothing. One lived and ran about the earth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-hesse/o-how-incomprehensible-everything-was-and-actually-sad-although-it/) [Herman Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-hesse/) ## More by Charles Van Doren > [I worked hard at memorizing lists of facts and figures, and carried with me a book of facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-van-doren/i-worked-hard-at-memorizing-lists-of-facts-and-figures-and-carried/) [Charles Van Doren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-van-doren/) > [My total winnings after 14 appearances were $129,000.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-van-doren/my-total-winnings-after-14-appearances-were-129-000/) [Charles Van Doren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-van-doren/) > [I cannot take back one word or action; the past does not change for anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-van-doren/i-cannot-take-back-one-word-or-action-the-past-does-not-change-for/) [Charles Van Doren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-van-doren/) > [I was involved, deeply involved, in a deception... I have deceived my friends - and I had millions of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-van-doren/i-was-involved-deeply-involved-in-a-deception-i-have-deceived-my/) [Charles Van Doren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-van-doren/) > [“You have not grasped a complex unity if all you know about it is how it is one. You must also know how it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-van-doren/you-have-not-grasped-a-complex-unity-if-all-you-know-about-it-is-how/) [Charles Van Doren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-van-doren/) > [The last part, the part you're now approaching, was for Aristotle the most important for happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-van-doren/the-last-part-the-part-you-re-now-approaching-was-for-aristotle-the/) [Charles Van Doren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-van-doren/) > [Some of you read with me 40 years ago a portion of Aristotle's Ethics, a selection of passages that describe his idea of happiness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-van-doren/some-of-you-read-with-me-40-years-ago-a-portion-of-aristotle-s-ethics/) [Charles Van Doren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-van-doren/) > [“The viewer of television, the listener to radio, the reader of magazines, is presented with a whole complex of elements—all the way from ingenious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-van-doren/the-viewer-of-television-the-listener-to-radio-the-reader-of/) [Charles Van Doren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-van-doren/) > [“we can learn only from our “betters.” We must know who they are and how to learn from them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-van-doren/we-can-learn-only-from-our-betters-we-must-know-who-they-are-and-how/) [Charles Van Doren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-van-doren/) > [“Every book should be read no more slowly than it deserves, and no more quickly than you can read it with satisfaction and comprehension.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-van-doren/every-book-should-be-read-no-more-slowly-than-it-deserves-and-no-more/) [Charles Van Doren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-van-doren/) > [“Full ownership of a book only comes when you have made it a part of yourself, and the best way to make yourself a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-van-doren/full-ownership-of-a-book-only-comes-when-you-have-made-it-a-part-of/) [Charles Van Doren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-van-doren/) > [I've learned a lot about good and evil. They are not always what they appear to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-van-doren/i-ve-learned-a-lot-about-good-and-evil-they-are-not-always-what-they/) [Charles Van Doren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-van-doren/) > [“you have to understand in order to disagree.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-van-doren/you-have-to-understand-in-order-to-disagree/) [Charles van Doren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-van-doren/) > [I hoped that it would be possible to slide slowly from my public life back to the life of teaching and writing that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-van-doren/i-hoped-that-it-would-be-possible-to-slide-slowly-from-my-public-life/) [Charles Van Doren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-van-doren/) > [I never wanted to see another quiz show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-van-doren/i-never-wanted-to-see-another-quiz-show/) [Charles Van Doren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-van-doren/) [Explore all 21 Charles Van Doren quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-van-doren/) ## More Knowledge quotes > [“Knowledge without conscience is but the ruin of the soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabelaise/knowledge-without-conscience-is-but-the-ruin-of-the-soul/) Rabelaise > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [If we will not interfere with our thought, but will act entirely, or see how the thing stands in God, we know the particular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-we-will-not-interfere-with-our-thought-but-will-act-entirely-or/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [An enlightened awareness is within each one of us, right at this moment. This enlightened awareness is truly unborn and marvellously illuminating; and everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bankei-yotaku/an-enlightened-awareness-is-within-each-one-of-us-right-at-this/) [Bankei Yotaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bankei-yotaku/) > [One of the deepest and strangest of all human moods is the mood which will suddenly strike us perhaps in a garden at night,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-deepest-and-strangest-of-all-human-moods-is-the-mood-which/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I never knew any man who had once tasted the sweetness of experimental knowledge, that ever afterward fasted after ye Vapour garlick and onions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-zimmer/i-never-knew-any-man-who-had-once-tasted-the-sweetness-of/) [Carl Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-zimmer/) > [I would rather excel others in the knowledge of what is excellent than in the extent of my powers and dominion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/i-would-rather-excel-others-in-the-knowledge-of-what-is-excellent/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [We know accurately only when we know little, with knowledge doubt increases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/we-know-accurately-only-when-we-know-little-with-knowledge-doubt/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I've always been a believer in research. It's great to have an instinctual human reaction to a character, too, of course, but it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/i-ve-always-been-a-believer-in-research-it-s-great-to-have-an/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [I am an aware citizen, so I want my characters to be aware, too. They should be aware of what's happening in the society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pankaj-tripathi/i-am-an-aware-citizen-so-i-want-my-characters-to-be-aware-too-they/) [Pankaj Tripathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pankaj-tripathi/) > [Technology means the systematic application of scientific or other organized knowledge to practical tasks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/technology-means-the-systematic-application-of-scientific-or-other/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [Love is a vision,love carry our vision,and love by-step our vision. we carry our love to our by-step. once love is vision love is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-a-vision-love-carry-our-vision-and-love-by-step-our-vision-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Man is an ignoramus athirst for knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-wagner/man-is-an-ignoramus-athirst-for-knowledge/) [Charles Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-wagner/) [Browse all 13,227 Knowledge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But knowledge is not as much a prerequisite to understanding as is commonly supposed. 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