Philosophy Quote by Eliezer Yudkowsky
““One of chief pieces of advice I give to aspiring rationalists is "Don't try to be clever." And, "Listen to those quiet, nagging doubts." If you don't know, you don't know what you don't know, you don't know how much you don't know, and you don't know how much you needed to know.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Rationality: A-Z, Eliezer Yudkowsky, 2013
Avoid overcomplicating thoughts; trust simple, uneasy intuitions to reveal hidden gaps.
In simple terms: Don’t overthink; heed quiet doubts.
Key Takeaway
Embrace humility and curiosity.
Themes
humility
critical thinking
self‑awareness
Mood
thoughtful
introspective
Type
advice
philosophical
When to use this quote
- academic research
- personal decision‑making
- learning new skills
Key Concepts
epistemic humility
metacognition
Questions to Reflect On
- What simple intuition have you ignored?
- How can you test a nagging doubt?
A Different Perspective
Quiet doubts may be misinterpreted as lack of confidence.
![“I never knew any man who had once tasted the sweetness of experimental knowledge, that ever afterward fasted after ye Vapour garlick and onions of phantasmatical seeming philosophy." [William Petty]” quote by Carl Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e5a/carl-zimmer-16331_knowledge_i-never-knew-any-man-who-had-once-tasted_1770.jpg)
