---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Stupefaction is not resignation; and it…"
description: "\"“Stupefaction is not resignation; and it is stupefaction to remain in ignorance,–to shut up all the avenues by which the life of your fellow-men might ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04b/george-eliot-84_ignorance_stupefaction-is-not-resignation-and-it-i_2873847.png"
---

#  Stupefaction is not resignation; and it is stupefaction to…

![“Stupefaction is not resignation; and it is stupefaction to remain in ignorance,–to shut up all the avenues by which the life of your fellow-men might become known to you.” quote by George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04b/george-eliot-84_ignorance_stupefaction-is-not-resignation-and-it-i_2873847.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04b/george-eliot-84_ignorance_stupefaction-is-not-resignation-and-it-i_2873847.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04b/george-eliot-84_ignorance_stupefaction-is-not-resignation-and-it-i_2873847.png)

> ““Stupefaction is not resignation; and it is stupefaction to remain in ignorance,–to shut up all the avenues by which the life of your fellow-men might become known to you.””

[George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/)

## About This Quote

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

Ignorance is not passive resignation; it is an active refusal to explore paths that reveal others’ humanity.

**In simple terms:** Ignorance blocks empathy and understanding.

Key Takeaway

Pursue knowledge of others.

Themes

ignorance empathy knowledge humanity

Mood

reflective serious

Type

ethical philosophical

When to use this quote

- education
- dialogue
- community building

Key Concepts

ethical philosophy social awareness

Questions to Reflect On

- What avenues have you closed by staying ignorant?
- How can you open yourself to others’ experiences?

A Different Perspective

May underestimate systemic barriers.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/)

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[Tertullian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tertullian/)

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[John Lubbock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lubbock/)

> [It is a common sentence that Knowledge is power; but who hath duly considered or set forth the power of Ignorance? Knowledge slowly builds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/it-is-a-common-sentence-that-knowledge-is-power-but-who-hath-duly-2/)

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> [Knowledge slowly builds up what Ignorance in an hour pulls down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/knowledge-slowly-builds-up-what-ignorance-in-an-hour-pulls-down/)

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[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

## More by George Eliot

> [There are various orders of beauty, causing men to make fools of themselves in various styles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/there-are-various-orders-of-beauty-causing-men-to-make-fools-of/)

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> [Scepticismcan never be thoroughly applied, else life would come to a standstill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/scepticismcan-never-be-thoroughly-applied-else-life-would-come-to-a/)

[George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/)

> [Under every guilty secret there is hidden a brood of guilty wishes, whose unwholesome infecting life is cherished by the darkness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/under-every-guilty-secret-there-is-hidden-a-brood-of-guilty-wishes/)

[George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/)

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[George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/)

> [ “\[W\]e must learn to accommodate ourselves to the discovery that some of those cunningly-fashioned instruments called human souls have only a very limited range… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/w-e-must-learn-to-accommodate-ourselves-to-the-discovery-that-some-of/)

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[George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/)

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