---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Not only do I not know what's going on, I…"
description: "\"Not only do I not know what's going on, I wouldn't know what to do about it if I did.\" — George Carlin"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/530/george-carlin-155_know_not-only-do-i-not-know-what-s-going-on-i_2388210.jpg"
---

#  Not only do I not know what's going on, I wouldn't know…

![“Not only do I not know what's going on, I wouldn't know what to do about it if I did.” quote by George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/530/george-carlin-155_know_not-only-do-i-not-know-what-s-going-on-i_2388210.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/530/george-carlin-155_know_not-only-do-i-not-know-what-s-going-on-i_2388210.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/530/george-carlin-155_know_not-only-do-i-not-know-what-s-going-on-i_2388210.jpg)

> “Not only do I not know what's going on, I wouldn't know what to do about it if I did.”

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Admitting ignorance can be a first step toward learning and action.

**In simple terms:** Not knowing is okay, but act to learn.

Key Takeaway

Em ignorance, seek understanding.

Themes

humor self-awareness learning

Mood

reflective lighthearted

Type

observational self-deprecating

When to use this quote

- education
- political activism
- personal decision-making

Key Concepts

epistemology personal growth

Questions to Reflect On

- What can you do to become better informed?
- How does humor help confront uncertainty?

A Different Perspective

Ignorance can lead to paralysis if not addressed.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

## Related quotes

> [“Travis was going to be a part of that, and if he wouldn’t let me save him, I had to save myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-mcguire/travis-was-going-to-be-a-part-of-that-and-if-he-wouldn-t-let-me-save/)

[Jamie McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-mcguire/)

> [If I knew where I was going, I wouldn't do it. When I can predict or plan it, I don't do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/if-i-knew-where-i-was-going-i-wouldn-t-do-it-when-i-can-predict-or/)

[Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/)

> [I want you to know that everything I did, I did for my country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pol-pot/i-want-you-to-know-that-everything-i-did-i-did-for-my-country/)

[Pol Pot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pol-pot/)

> [If you didn't have someone to hate, you wouldn't know what to do with yourself, would you?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natsuki-takaya/if-you-didn-t-have-someone-to-hate-you-wouldn-t-know-what-to-do-with/)

[Natsuki Takaya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natsuki-takaya/)

> [“I didn't know what to do, and as usual, when I didn't know what to do, I did nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-skeslien-charles/i-didn-t-know-what-to-do-and-as-usual-when-i-didn-t-know-what-to-do-i/)

[Janet Skeslien Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-skeslien-charles/)

> [“You know what? I take it back. You did do something to me. You led me on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/you-know-what-i-take-it-back-you-did-do-something-to-me-you-led-me-on/)

[Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/)

> [“I don't know anything, I never did know anything, but now I know I don't know anything!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ebenezer-scrooge/i-don-t-know-anything-i-never-did-know-anything-but-now-i-know-i-don/)

Ebenezer Scrooge

> [I don't know why I did it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-smith/i-don-t-know-why-i-did-it/)

[Susan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-smith/)

> [Have you come over time to think that you know more now than you did when you were young, know less now than when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padgett-powell/have-you-come-over-time-to-think-that-you-know-more-now-than-you-did/)

[Padgett Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padgett-powell/)

> [Yes. That's right. I did see her. I did see her before it happened. I did know about her existence and presence. I knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-james/yes-that-s-right-i-did-see-her-i-did-see-her-before-it-happened-i-did/)

[Andrew James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-james/)

> [I know I did some things but that's the old me..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-know-i-did-some-things-but-that-s-the-old-me/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [What did the president know, and when did he know it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-baker/what-did-the-president-know-and-when-did-he-know-it/)

[Howard Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-baker/)

> [Make your life spectacular, I know I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/make-your-life-spectacular-i-know-i-did/)

[Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/)

> [In 2011, a lot of people didn't even know I did 'Tupac Back.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-will-made-it/in-2011-a-lot-of-people-didn-t-even-know-i-did-tupac-back/)

[Mike Will Made It](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-will-made-it/)

> [We know no more than we did in 1975 - and that's not good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-smolin/we-know-no-more-than-we-did-in-1975-and-that-s-not-good/)

[Lee Smolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-smolin/)

## More by George Carlin

> [I never go anywhere or do anything that transports me outside the boundaries of my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/i-never-go-anywhere-or-do-anything-that-transports-me-outside-the/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [With the proper training, I could've been an evil genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/with-the-proper-training-i-could-ve-been-an-evil-genius/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [Comedy, although it is not one of the fine arts - it's a vulgar art, it's one of the people's arts, it's the spoken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/comedy-although-it-is-not-one-of-the-fine-arts-it-s-a-vulgar-art-it-s/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [“I'm completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. ... These two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/i-m-completely-in-favor-of-the-separation-of-church-and-state-these/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [“TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY. Not true. Today is another day. We have no idea what tomorrow is going to be. It might turn out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/tomorrow-is-another-day-not-true-today-is-another-day-we-have-no-idea/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [I was a loner as a child. I had an imaginary friend - I didn't bother with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/i-was-a-loner-as-a-child-i-had-an-imaginary-friend-i-didn-t-bother/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [Kilometers are shorter than miles. Save gas, take your next trip in kilometers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/kilometers-are-shorter-than-miles-save-gas-take-your-next-trip-in/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [“If you guys want to get a MOM tattoo and save a little money, just get two letters done. Get about a one-inch capital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/if-you-guys-want-to-get-a-mom-tattoo-and-save-a-little-money-just-get/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/you-ve-built-up-so-much-speed-that-you-hit-70-after-that-it-s-a-day/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [It ended suddenly for Brenda, more slowly for me. My runs began getting shorter and less pleasurable. I'd feel bad after only one day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/it-ended-suddenly-for-brenda-more-slowly-for-me-my-runs-began-getting/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [Is there another word for synonym?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/is-there-another-word-for-synonym/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [The whole idea of the pursuit of goods and possessions has completely corrupted the human experience, along with religion, which I think limits the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/the-whole-idea-of-the-pursuit-of-goods-and-possessions-has-completely/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [These days many politicians are demanding change. Just like homeless people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/these-days-many-politicians-are-demanding-change-just-like-homeless/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [You know the good part about all those executions in Texas? Fewer Texans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/you-know-the-good-part-about-all-those-executions-in-texas-fewer/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [What was the best thing before sliced bread?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/what-was-the-best-thing-before-sliced-bread/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

[Explore all 1,098 George Carlin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

## More Know quotes

> [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/)

[Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/)

> [“To know someone, to be known. That matters more than he'd ever thought it would.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/to-know-someone-to-be-known-that-matters-more-than-he-d-ever-thought/)

[Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/)

> [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/)

[Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/)

> [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/)

[Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/)

> [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/)

> [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/)

[Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/)

> [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/)

[Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/)

> [Don't get too attached to someone you know you can't be together with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/don-t-get-too-attached-to-someone-you-know-you-can-t-be-together-with/)

[Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/)

> [I know what you're thinking... and you oughtta be ashamed of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-preston/i-know-what-you-re-thinking-and-you-oughtta-be-ashamed-of-yourself/)

Robert Preston

> [I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/)

[Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/)

> [You will never know just how beautiful you are to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-never-know-just-how-beautiful-you-are-to-me/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I know how hard it is to be a woman, especially a black woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/i-know-how-hard-it-is-to-be-a-woman-especially-a-black-woman/)

[Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/)

> [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/)

[Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/)

> [“Take your time to find and understand what you don’t know and in the end, you shall know that it is not all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/take-your-time-to-find-and-understand-what-you-don-t-know-and-in-the/)

[Ernest Agyemang Yeboah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/)

> [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/)

[Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/)

Browse all 22,299 Know quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Not only do I not know what's going on, I wouldn't know what to do about it if I did.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "George Carlin"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/not-only-do-i-not-know-what-s-going-on-i-wouldn-t-know-what-to-do/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Know"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/not-only-do-i-not-know-what-s-going-on-i-wouldn-t-know-what-to-do/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/530/george-carlin-155_know_not-only-do-i-not-know-what-s-going-on-i_2388210.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/530/george-carlin-155_know_not-only-do-i-not-know-what-s-going-on-i_2388210.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/530/george-carlin-155_know_not-only-do-i-not-know-what-s-going-on-i_2388210.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Not only do I not know what's going on, I wouldn't know what to do about it if I did.” — George Carlin",
                "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": "George Carlin",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Not only do I not know...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/not-only-do-i-not-know-what-s-going-on-i-wouldn-t-know-what-to-do/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/not-only-do-i-not-know-what-s-going-on-i-wouldn-t-know-what-to-do/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
