--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The knowledge that I have acquired must…" description: "\"The knowledge that I have acquired must not remain imprisoned in my brain. I owe it to many men and women to do something with it. I feel the need to p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/elie-wiesel-341_brain_the-knowledge-that-i-have-acquired-must_603087.png" --- # The knowledge that I have acquired must not remain… ![“The knowledge that I have acquired must not remain imprisoned in my brain. I owe it to many men and women to do something with it. I feel the need to pay back what was given to me. Call it gratitude.” quote by Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/elie-wiesel-341_brain_the-knowledge-that-i-have-acquired-must_603087.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/elie-wiesel-341_brain_the-knowledge-that-i-have-acquired-must_603087.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/elie-wiesel-341_brain_the-knowledge-that-i-have-acquired-must_603087.png) > “The knowledge that I have acquired must not remain imprisoned in my brain. I owe it to many men and women to do something with it. I feel the need to pay back what was given to me. Call it gratitude.” [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) ## 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 feels a duty to share acquired knowledge as a form of gratitude toward those who provided it, urging action beyond mere contemplation. **In simple terms:** Share knowledge as thanks. Key Takeaway Act on what you’ve learned to honor others. Themes gratitude knowledge responsibility legacy Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - teaching - publishing - mentoring - community service Key Concepts ethics education humanism Questions to Reflect On - How can you ensure your sharing is accurate? - What impact do you hope to create? A Different Perspective Fear of misrepresenting information. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Brain Owe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain-owe-4912551/) [Feel Need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-need-313008/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given/) [Given Gratitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given-gratitude-4912552/) [Gratitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gratitude/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Knowledge Acquired](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge-acquired-364515/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men and women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-and-women/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) ## Related quotes > [Knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/knowledge-which-is-acquired-under-compulsion-obtains-no-hold-on-the/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [“...action is in fact knowledge in operation. Right action stems from right knowledge. Right knowledge is acquired through the teacher.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/action-is-in-fact-knowledge-in-operation-right-action-stems-from/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [The knowledge which we have acquired ought not to resemble a great shop without order, and without an inventory; we ought to know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gottfried-leibniz/the-knowledge-which-we-have-acquired-ought-not-to-resemble-a-great/) [Gottfried Leibniz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gottfried-leibniz/) > [“There are too many literati, yet very few are smart; knowledge is acquired far too easily.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/there-are-too-many-literati-yet-very-few-are-smart-knowledge-is/) [Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/) > [Information is acquired by being told, whereas knowledge can be acquired by thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-machlup/information-is-acquired-by-being-told-whereas-knowledge-can-be/) [Fritz Machlup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-machlup/) > [“Generally in life, knowledge is acquired to be used. But school learning more often fits Freire 's apt metaphor: knowledge is treated like money,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-papert/generally-in-life-knowledge-is-acquired-to-be-used-but-school/) [Seymour Papert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-papert/) > [Knowledge acquired too rapidly and without being personally supplemented is never very productive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-c-lichtenberg/knowledge-acquired-too-rapidly-and-without-being-personally/) [Georg C. Lichtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-c-lichtenberg/) > [“Knowledge without action is like a bow without a string.” A relationship as close as blood relationship must be established between knowledge and action.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-rosenthal/knowledge-without-action-is-like-a-bow-without-a-string-a/) [Franz Rosenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-rosenthal/) > [Knowledge will not be acquired without pains and application. It is troublesome and deep, digging for pure waters; but when once you come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-felton/knowledge-will-not-be-acquired-without-pains-and-application-it-is/) [Tom Felton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-felton/) > [“There are those who believe knowledge is something that is acquired - a precious ore hacked, as it were, from the grey strata of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-are-those-who-believe-knowledge-is-something-that-is-acquired-a/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I should say that the useful results of science had accumulated, but that there had been no accumulation of knowledge, strictly speaking, for posterity;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-should-say-that-the-useful-results-of-science-had-accumulated-but/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Science is often misrepresented as "the body of knowledge acquired by performing replicated controlled experiments in the laboratory." Actually, science is something broader: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/science-is-often-misrepresented-as-the-body-of-knowledge-acquired-by/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [Knowledge can be acquired by a suitable and complete study, no matter what the starting point is. Only one must know how to 'learn.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/knowledge-can-be-acquired-by-a-suitable-and-complete-study-no-matter/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life consists in penetrating the unknown, and fashioning our actions in accord with the new knowledge thus acquired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/life-consists-in-penetrating-the-unknown-and-fashioning-our-actions/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Never lose sight of this important truth, that no one can be truly great until he has gained a knowledge of himself, a knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-lose-sight-of-this-important-truth-that-no-one-can-be-truly/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Elie Wiesel > [A religious person answers to God, not to the elected or non-elected official.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/a-religious-person-answers-to-god-not-to-the-elected-or-non-elected/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [One more stab to the heart, one more reason to hate. One less reason to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/one-more-stab-to-the-heart-one-more-reason-to-hate-one-less-reason-to/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [“What all these victims need above all is to know that they are not alone; that we are not forgetting them, that when their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/what-all-these-victims-need-above-all-is-to-know-that-they-are-not/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [I feel that books, just like people, have a destiny. Some invite sorrow, others joy, some both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/i-feel-that-books-just-like-people-have-a-destiny-some-invite-sorrow/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [ \[Chinese\] are a huge empire now, you'll soon be - in a few years two billion people in the world. So, you should be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/chinese-are-a-huge-empire-now-you-ll-soon-be-in-a-few-years-two/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Did I write it so as not to go mad or, on the contrary, to go mad in order to understand the nature of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/did-i-write-it-so-as-not-to-go-mad-or-on-the-contrary-to-go-mad-in/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Take the story of Cain and Abel. Why were we given that story? Scientifically, you may have an explanation for it, but I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/take-the-story-of-cain-and-abel-why-were-we-given-that-story/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Mankind must remember that peace is not God's gift to his creatures; peace is our gift to each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/mankind-must-remember-that-peace-is-not-god-s-gift-to-his-creatures/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [The world? The world is not interested in us. Today, everything is possible, even the crematoria...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/the-world-the-world-is-not-interested-in-us-today-everything-is/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [every question possessed a power that was lost in the answer . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/every-question-possessed-a-power-that-was-lost-in-the-answer/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [I think this century more than any other really has seen the phenomenon of people being uprooted in such numbers, such a degree. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/i-think-this-century-more-than-any-other-really-has-seen-the/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [His cold eyes stared at me. At last, he said wearily: "I have more faith in Hitler than in anyone else. He alone has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/his-cold-eyes-stared-at-me-at-last-he-said-wearily-i-have-more-faith/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [As you know, I describe Shirat ha-Yam as part of an epic story that has qualities of history and which also has qualities of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/as-you-know-i-describe-shirat-ha-yam-as-part-of-an-epic-story-that/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Every Jew, somewhere in his being, should set apart a zone of hate -healthy virile hate- for what the German personifies and for what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/every-jew-somewhere-in-his-being-should-set-apart-a-zone-of-hate/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [“Did hope help us to survive, or not? Too many families clung to it all through the war, thus falling into the enemy's trap.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/did-hope-help-us-to-survive-or-not-too-many-families-clung-to-it-all/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) [Explore all 662 Elie Wiesel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) ## More Brain quotes > [The brain abhors discrepancies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilayanur-s-ramachandran/the-brain-abhors-discrepancies/) [Vilayanur S. Ramachandran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilayanur-s-ramachandran/) > [In some circles where very heavy people think they have very heavy brains, words like "charming" and "clever" and "pretty" are all put-downs; all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/in-some-circles-where-very-heavy-people-think-they-have-very-heavy/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [down with ought with because with every brain that thinks it thinks nor dares to feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/down-with-ought-with-because-with-every-brain-that-thinks-it-thinks/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To explicate the uses of the Brain seems as difficult a task as to paint the Soul, of which it is commonly said, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-willis/to-explicate-the-uses-of-the-brain-seems-as-difficult-a-task-as-to/) [Thomas Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-willis/) > [I prefer the word 'musician.' I'm a musician and a composer. I have a problem with the word 'artist.' I don't know if it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/i-prefer-the-word-musician-i-m-a-musician-and-a-composer-i-have-a/) [Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/) > [Thinking of sex provides enough mental stimulation to reduce risk of diseases that damage the brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/thinking-of-sex-provides-enough-mental-stimulation-to-reduce-risk-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My writing routine is: get son off to school and sit down at 8 A.M. I read what I wrote the day before, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-chevalier/my-writing-routine-is-get-son-off-to-school-and-sit-down-at-8-a-m-i/) [Tracy Chevalier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-chevalier/) > [The reason I'm drawn to it is - both the off road racing and the motorcycles on the track - it takes a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dax-shepard/the-reason-i-m-drawn-to-it-is-both-the-off-road-racing-and-the/) [Dax Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dax-shepard/) > [Without illusions. I love you because you are fallible and because your poor misguided testosterone-corrupted brain has you doing cartwheels trying not to be.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-gerard/without-illusions-i-love-you-because-you-are-fallible-and-because/) [Cindy Gerard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-gerard/) > [being asked to decide between your passion for work and your passion for children was like being asked by your doctor whether you preferred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-bevington/being-asked-to-decide-between-your-passion-for-work-and-your-passion/) [Helen Bevington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-bevington/) > [I was told I had brain damage. I always knew it was an unfair label. Now I have a clearer understanding of what's wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-boyle/i-was-told-i-had-brain-damage-i-always-knew-it-was-an-unfair-label/) [Susan Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-boyle/) > [The act of learning to read added an entirely new circuit to our hominid brain's repertoire. The long developmental process of learning to read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/the-act-of-learning-to-read-added-an-entirely-new-circuit-to-our/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [I can't let fear kill my creative brain. Fear is the killer. Your bad choices come from fear. And I'm constantly combating fear. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-m-chu/i-can-t-let-fear-kill-my-creative-brain-fear-is-the-killer-your-bad/) [Jon M. Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-m-chu/) > [I am the way I am. If you like me because I'm glamorous, so be it. If you like me, because I speak well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malaika-arora-khan/i-am-the-way-i-am-if-you-like-me-because-i-m-glamorous-so-be-it-if/) [Malaika Arora Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malaika-arora-khan/) [Browse all 8,465 Brain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The knowledge that I have acquired must not remain imprisoned in my brain. I owe it to many men and women to do something with it. I feel the need to pay back what was given to me. Call it gratitude.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elie Wiesel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/the-knowledge-that-i-have-acquired-must-not-remain-imprisoned-in-my/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Brain" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/the-knowledge-that-i-have-acquired-must-not-remain-imprisoned-in-my/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/elie-wiesel-341_brain_the-knowledge-that-i-have-acquired-must_603087.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/elie-wiesel-341_brain_the-knowledge-that-i-have-acquired-must_603087.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/elie-wiesel-341_brain_the-knowledge-that-i-have-acquired-must_603087.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The knowledge that I have acquired must not remain imprisoned in my brain. I owe it to many men and women to…” — Elie Wiesel", "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": "Elie Wiesel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The knowledge that I have acquired...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/the-knowledge-that-i-have-acquired-must-not-remain-imprisoned-in-my/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/the-knowledge-that-i-have-acquired-must-not-remain-imprisoned-in-my/#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 } } ] } ```