--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But only this-that people who are utterly…" description: "\"“But only this-that people who are utterly ignorant will believe anything-which you certainly knew before.”\" — Charlotte Perkins Gilman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/522/charlotte-perkins-gilman-2420_ignorant_but-only-this-that-people-who-are-utterl_3140516.png" --- # But only this-that people who are utterly ignorant will… ![“But only this-that people who are utterly ignorant will believe anything-which you certainly knew before.” quote by Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/522/charlotte-perkins-gilman-2420_ignorant_but-only-this-that-people-who-are-utterl_3140516.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/522/charlotte-perkins-gilman-2420_ignorant_but-only-this-that-people-who-are-utterl_3140516.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/522/charlotte-perkins-gilman-2420_ignorant_but-only-this-that-people-who-are-utterl_3140516.png) > ““But only this-that people who are utterly ignorant will believe anything-which you certainly knew before.”” [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author critiques those who, despite being aware, remain willfully ignorant of evident truths. **In simple terms:** People who know the facts but pretend not to are called out. Key Takeaway Challenge complacent ignorance with informed dialogue. Themes ignorance truth critique education Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - public debates - classroom discussions - media literacy programs - community forums Key Concepts social psychology epistemic responsibility bias awareness Questions to Reflect On - What evidence convinces you of a truth? - How can you encourage others to confront their own blind spots? A Different Perspective Changing entrenched beliefs requires more than just pointing out ignorance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe Certainly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-certainly-3792927/) [Certainly Knew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainly-knew-1238621/) [Ignorant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorant/) [Ignorant Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorant-believe-692272/) [Utterly Ignorant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/utterly-ignorant-1718893/) ## Related quotes > [Those persons who suffer from indigestion, or who become drunk, are utterly ignorant of the true principles of eating and drinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anthelme-brillat-savarin/those-persons-who-suffer-from-indigestion-or-who-become-drunk-are/) [Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anthelme-brillat-savarin/) > [For it is the natural tendency of the ignorant to believe what is not true. In order to overcome that tendency it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/for-it-is-the-natural-tendency-of-the-ignorant-to-believe-what-is-not/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [ “Socrates: This man, on one hand, believes that he knows something, while not knowing \[anything\]. On the other hand, I – equally ignorant –… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/socrates-this-man-on-one-hand-believes-that-he-knows-something-while/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [This life of man appears for a short space, but of what went before, or what is to follow, we are utterly ignorant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/venerable-bede/this-life-of-man-appears-for-a-short-space-but-of-what-went-before-or/) [Venerable Bede](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/venerable-bede/) > [You should be smart enough to know that you don't know everything. But you have to believe in yourself. I certainly do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-kruger/you-should-be-smart-enough-to-know-that-you-don-t-know-everything-but/) [Diane Kruger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-kruger/) > [I do not believe anything very certainly, but everything very probably.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiaan-huygens/i-do-not-believe-anything-very-certainly-but-everything-very-probably/) [Christiaan Huygens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiaan-huygens/) > [“No one can tell you what to believe. And I certainly won’t. You’re a smart kid. Go figure it out.”               I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/qasim-rashid/no-one-can-tell-you-what-to-believe-and-i-certainly-won-t-you-re-a/) [Qasim Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/qasim-rashid/) > [I certainly knew from an early age... how to tell stories; how to create pictures in other people's heads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/i-certainly-knew-from-an-early-age-how-to-tell-stories-how-to-create/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [I certainly knew my father. He just didn't happen to be my biological father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/i-certainly-knew-my-father-he-just-didn-t-happen-to-be-my-biological/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [I realize now that I was a feminist and the minute I heard the word I certainly knew it meant me, but at that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlo-thomas/i-realize-now-that-i-was-a-feminist-and-the-minute-i-heard-the-word-i/) [Marlo Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlo-thomas/) > [I know who Dick Gregory is; I knew what his accomplishments are. I certainly knew him as a comedian and an activist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/i-know-who-dick-gregory-is-i-knew-what-his-accomplishments-are-i/) [Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) > [I certainly knew who was there before me - Nat King Cole, Lena Horne, Dorothy Dandridge, Billie Holiday - not only because that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-uggams/i-certainly-knew-who-was-there-before-me-nat-king-cole-lena-horne/) [Leslie Uggams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-uggams/) > [I certainly knew the hard side of urban life, stop-and-search.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lammy/i-certainly-knew-the-hard-side-of-urban-life-stop-and-search/) [David Lammy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lammy/) > [“Ignorance is bliss' only if you're ignorant enough to believe that that's where bliss comes from.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/ignorance-is-bliss-only-if-you-re-ignorant-enough-to-believe-that/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“Just because you are forgiven for everything, even the unforgivable, don't you ever be so ignorant you believe all you did was not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camilla-s-rensen/just-because-you-are-forgiven-for-everything-even-the-unforgivable/) [Camilla Sørensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilla-s-rensen/) ## More by Charlotte Perkins Gilman > [“They were inconveniently reasonable, these women.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/they-were-inconveniently-reasonable-these-women/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [Architecture might be more sportive and varied if every man built his own house, but it would not be the art and science that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/architecture-might-be-more-sportive-and-varied-if-every-man-built-his/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [To-day there is hardly a woman of intelligence in all America ... who is not definitely and actively concerned in some social interest, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/to-day-there-is-hardly-a-woman-of-intelligence-in-all-america-who-is/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [“Here she comes, running, out of prison and off the pedestal: chains off, crown off, halo off, just a live woman.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/here-she-comes-running-out-of-prison-and-off-the-pedestal-chains-off/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [“I never saw so much expression in an inanimate thing before, and we all know how much expression they have! I used to lie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/i-never-saw-so-much-expression-in-an-inanimate-thing-before-and-we/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [In New York City, everyone is an exile, none more so than the Americans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/in-new-york-city-everyone-is-an-exile-none-more-so-than-the-americans/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [The fact that women in the home have shut themselves away from the thought and life of the world has done much to retard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/the-fact-that-women-in-the-home-have-shut-themselves-away-from-the/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [Eternity is not something that begins after you are dead. It is going on all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/eternity-is-not-something-that-begins-after-you-are-dead-it-is-going/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [Now why should that man have fainted? But he did,and right across my path by the wall, so that I had to creep over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/now-why-should-that-man-have-fainted-but-he-did-and-right-across-my/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [The best proof of man's dissatisfaction with the home is found in his universal absence from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/the-best-proof-of-man-s-dissatisfaction-with-the-home-is-found-in-his/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [The home is the centre and circumference, the start and the finish, of most of our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/the-home-is-the-centre-and-circumference-the-start-and-the-finish-of/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [Audiences are always better pleased with a smart retort, some joke or epigram, than with any amount of reasoning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/audiences-are-always-better-pleased-with-a-smart-retort-some-joke-or/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [No matter what the belief, if it had modestly said, 'This is our best thought, go on, think farther!' then we could have smoothly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/no-matter-what-the-belief-if-it-had-modestly-said-this-is-our-best/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [A house does not need a wife any more than it needs a husband.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/a-house-does-not-need-a-wife-any-more-than-it-needs-a-husband/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [The home is a human institution. All human institutions are open to improvement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/the-home-is-a-human-institution-all-human-institutions-are-open-to/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) [Explore all 167 Charlotte Perkins Gilman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) ## More Ignorant quotes > [Don't judge me because I'm stupid. Don't judge me because I'm, mean. Don't judge me because I'm weird. Don't judge me for mistakes. Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-harden-me/don-t-judge-me-because-i-m-stupid-don-t-judge-me-because-i-m-mean-don/) [Isaiah Harden (Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-harden-me/) > [... informed ignorance provides the natural state of mind for research scientists at the ever-shifting frontiers of knowledge. People who believe themselves ignorant of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/informed-ignorance-provides-the-natural-state-of-mind-for-research/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [The poor and ignorant will continue to lie and steal as long as the rich and educated show them how.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/the-poor-and-ignorant-will-continue-to-lie-and-steal-as-long-as-the/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [The masses are still ungrateful or ignorant. They prefer murder, poisonings, and crimes generally to a literature possessed of style and feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sand/the-masses-are-still-ungrateful-or-ignorant-they-prefer-murder/) [George Sand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sand/) > [The world is hard and cruel. We are here none knows why, and we go none knows whither. We must be very humble. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/the-world-is-hard-and-cruel-we-are-here-none-knows-why-and-we-go-none/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [The best lessons a man ever learns are from his mistakes. It is not for want of schoolmasters that we are still ignorant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/the-best-lessons-a-man-ever-learns-are-from-his-mistakes-it-is-not/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [If the civil magistrate be a Christian, a disciple or follower of the meek Lamb of God, he is bound to be far from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-williams/if-the-civil-magistrate-be-a-christian-a-disciple-or-follower-of-the/) [Roger Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-williams/) > [Further conceive, I beg, that a stone, while continuing in motion, should be capable of thinking and knowing, that it is endeavoring, as far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/further-conceive-i-beg-that-a-stone-while-continuing-in-motion-should/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [...God does not possess a private knowledge of Himself and a separate knowledge of all the creatures in common. The universal Cause, by knowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-dionysius/god-does-not-possess-a-private-knowledge-of-himself-and-a-separate/) [Pope Dionysius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-dionysius/) > [Who does not know that kings and rulers sprang from men who were ignorant of God, who assumed because of blind greed and intolerable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-gregory-vii/who-does-not-know-that-kings-and-rulers-sprang-from-men-who-were/) [Pope Gregory VII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-gregory-vii/) > [Calvin: The more you know, the harder it is to take decisive action. Once you are informed, you start seeing complexities and shades of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/calvin-the-more-you-know-the-harder-it-is-to-take-decisive-action/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [Every single moment, an ignorant discovers an idea that has been known for centuries!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/every-single-moment-an-ignorant-discovers-an-idea-that-has-been-known/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Judging someone by the color of their skin is ignorant. Their skin complexion has nothing to do with their morals, beliefs or intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/judging-someone-by-the-color-of-their-skin-is-ignorant-their-skin/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The doctrines of the Bible are often not clothed in the language of strict truth, but in that which was fittest to convey to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-pike/the-doctrines-of-the-bible-are-often-not-clothed-in-the-language-of/) [Albert Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-pike/) > [“...the difference between stupid and ignorant was that ignorant could learn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/the-difference-between-stupid-and-ignorant-was-that-ignorant-could/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) [Browse all 2,048 Ignorant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorant/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But only this-that people who are utterly ignorant will believe anything-which you certainly knew before.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charlotte Perkins Gilman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/but-only-this-that-people-who-are-utterly-ignorant-will-believe/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ignorant" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/but-only-this-that-people-who-are-utterly-ignorant-will-believe/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/522/charlotte-perkins-gilman-2420_ignorant_but-only-this-that-people-who-are-utterl_3140516.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/522/charlotte-perkins-gilman-2420_ignorant_but-only-this-that-people-who-are-utterl_3140516.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/522/charlotte-perkins-gilman-2420_ignorant_but-only-this-that-people-who-are-utterl_3140516.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But only this-that people who are utterly ignorant will believe anything-which you certainly knew before.” — Charlotte Perkins Gilman", "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": "Charlotte Perkins Gilman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“But only this-that people who are...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/but-only-this-that-people-who-are-utterly-ignorant-will-believe/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/but-only-this-that-people-who-are-utterly-ignorant-will-believe/#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 } } ] } ```