---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If there's anything worse than knowing…"
description: "\"If there's anything worse than knowing too little, it's knowing too much. Education will broaden a narrow mind, but there's no known cure for a big hea..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab9/george-horace-lorimer-10398_big-head_if-there-s-anything-worse-than-knowing-t_2287755.png"
---

#  If there's anything worse than knowing too little, it's…

![“If there's anything worse than knowing too little, it's knowing too much. Education will broaden a narrow mind, but there's no known cure for a big head. The best you can hope is that it will swell up and bust.” quote by George Horace Lorimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab9/george-horace-lorimer-10398_big-head_if-there-s-anything-worse-than-knowing-t_2287755.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab9/george-horace-lorimer-10398_big-head_if-there-s-anything-worse-than-knowing-t_2287755.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab9/george-horace-lorimer-10398_big-head_if-there-s-anything-worse-than-knowing-t_2287755.png)

> “If there's anything worse than knowing too little, it's knowing too much. Education will broaden a narrow mind, but there's no known cure for a big head. The best you can hope is that it will swell up and bust.”

[George Horace Lorimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-horace-lorimer/)

## About This Quote

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

Excessive knowledge can breed arrogance; education expands mind but may inflate ego.

**In simple terms:** Too much knowledge can lead to arrogance.

Key Takeaway

Stay humble despite learning.

Themes

knowledge humility ego

Mood

thoughtful reflective

Type

philosophical advice

When to use this quote

- academic research
- professional expertise
- personal development

Key Concepts

intellectual humility learning limits

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you keep humility while learning?
- When does expertise become overconfidence?

A Different Perspective

Knowledge alone doesn't guarantee wisdom.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Big heads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-heads/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Narrow minds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrow-minds/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/)

## Related quotes

> [Many soldiers are led to faulty ideas of war by knowing too much about too little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-patton/many-soldiers-are-led-to-faulty-ideas-of-war-by-knowing-too-much/)

[George S. Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-patton/)

> [They think that the cure to big government is to have bigger government... the only effective cure is to reduce the scope of government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/they-think-that-the-cure-to-big-government-is-to-have-bigger/)

[Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/)

> [“Even Though Education May Broaden,It Is Actually Wisdom Which Grows”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-darville/even-though-education-may-broaden-it-is-actually-wisdom-which-grows/)

[Mark Darville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-darville/)

> [One of the aims of higher education is to broaden perspectives, and what better way than by a home stay in a really different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-kristof/one-of-the-aims-of-higher-education-is-to-broaden-perspectives-and/)

[Nicholas Kristof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-kristof/)

> [When we were growing up and saw a Ray Harryhausen movie, we were interested in how it was done. But thank God we got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-burton/when-we-were-growing-up-and-saw-a-ray-harryhausen-movie-we-were/)

[Tim Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-burton/)

> [I always worry that knowing too much about a novel or a story early on in writing will close it down - it feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-chaon/i-always-worry-that-knowing-too-much-about-a-novel-or-a-story-early/)

[Dan Chaon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-chaon/)

> [I totally agree. I hate knowing too much when I'm going to the cinema and watching as a viewer. I don't want to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keira-knightley/i-totally-agree-i-hate-knowing-too-much-when-i-m-going-to-the-cinema/)

[Keira Knightley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keira-knightley/)

> [I like not knowing too much about somebody I'm photographing, because the process also becomes an experience for me to learn about .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-sebring/i-like-not-knowing-too-much-about-somebody-i-m-photographing-because/)

[Steven Sebring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-sebring/)

> [I'm always going to look and refer to things and remember things differently than perhaps a real or honest viewer can. I'm tainted with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-d-williamson/i-m-always-going-to-look-and-refer-to-things-and-remember-things/)

[Kevin D. Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-d-williamson/)

> [Shakespeare wrote better poetry for not knowing too much; Milton , I think, knew too much finally for the good of his poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/shakespeare-wrote-better-poetry-for-not-knowing-too-much-milton-i/)

[Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/)

> [“Words were sometimes like ammo. They could strike you with fear worse than an arrow. And worse was sometimes knowing ahead a time what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyndi-goodgame/words-were-sometimes-like-ammo-they-could-strike-you-with-fear-worse/)

[Cyndi Goodgame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyndi-goodgame/)

> [Nothing worse then knowing that you love someone who doesnt love you back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alanna-woodward-mee/nothing-worse-then-knowing-that-you-love-someone-who-doesnt-love-you/)

[Alanna Woodward (mee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alanna-woodward-mee/)

> [And the worst possible thing we could know — worse than knowing of our descent from a mass of microorganisms — is that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-ligotti/and-the-worst-possible-thing-we-could-know-worse-than-knowing-of-our/)

[Thomas Ligotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ligotti/)

> [Because what’s worse than knowing you want something, besides knowing you can never have it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/because-what-s-worse-than-knowing-you-want-something-besides-knowing/)

[James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/)

> [“I’m sure now’s the time in my life to be doing a lot of things I’m not doing. I feel bad about that. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-leve/i-m-sure-now-s-the-time-in-my-life-to-be-doing-a-lot-of-things-i-m/)

[Ariel Leve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-leve/)

## More by George Horace Lorimer

> [It isn't what a man's got in the bank, but what he's got in his head, that makes him a great merchant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-horace-lorimer/it-isn-t-what-a-man-s-got-in-the-bank-but-what-he-s-got-in-his-head/)

[George Horace Lorimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-horace-lorimer/)

> [Never threaten, because a threat is a promise to pay that it isn't always convenient to meet, but if you don't make it good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-horace-lorimer/never-threaten-because-a-threat-is-a-promise-to-pay-that-it-isn-t/)

[George Horace Lorimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-horace-lorimer/)

> [There is one excuse for every mistake a man can make, but only one. When a fellow makes the same mistake twice he's got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-horace-lorimer/there-is-one-excuse-for-every-mistake-a-man-can-make-but-only-one/)

[George Horace Lorimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-horace-lorimer/)

> [Clothes don't make the man, but they make all of him except his hands and face during business hours, and that's a pretty considerable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-horace-lorimer/clothes-don-t-make-the-man-but-they-make-all-of-him-except-his-hands/)

[George Horace Lorimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-horace-lorimer/)

> [When a fellow's got what he set out for in this world, he should go off into the woods for a few weeks now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-horace-lorimer/when-a-fellow-s-got-what-he-set-out-for-in-this-world-he-should-go/)

[George Horace Lorimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-horace-lorimer/)

> [The easiest way in the world to make enemies is to hire friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-horace-lorimer/the-easiest-way-in-the-world-to-make-enemies-is-to-hire-friends/)

[George Horace Lorimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-horace-lorimer/)

> [Doing the same thing in the same way year after year is like eating a quail a day for thirty days. Along toward the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-horace-lorimer/doing-the-same-thing-in-the-same-way-year-after-year-is-like-eating-a/)

[George Horace Lorimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-horace-lorimer/)

> [The great secret of good management is to be more alert to prevent a man's going wrong than eager to punish him for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-horace-lorimer/the-great-secret-of-good-management-is-to-be-more-alert-to-prevent-a/)

[George Horace Lorimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-horace-lorimer/)

> [You've got to preach short sermons to catch sinners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-horace-lorimer/you-ve-got-to-preach-short-sermons-to-catch-sinners/)

[George Horace Lorimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-horace-lorimer/)

> [The more I deal in it, the surer I am that human nature is all of the same critter, but that there's a heap…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-horace-lorimer/the-more-i-deal-in-it-the-surer-i-am-that-human-nature-is-all-of-the/)

[George Horace Lorimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-horace-lorimer/)

> [When the tongue lies, the eyes tell the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-horace-lorimer/when-the-tongue-lies-the-eyes-tell-the-truth/)

[George Horace Lorimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-horace-lorimer/)

> [Books are all right, but dead men's brains are no good unless you mix a live one's with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-horace-lorimer/books-are-all-right-but-dead-men-s-brains-are-no-good-unless-you-mix/)

[George Horace Lorimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-horace-lorimer/)

> [I ain't one of those who believe that a half knowledge of a subject is useless, but it has been my experience that when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-horace-lorimer/i-ain-t-one-of-those-who-believe-that-a-half-knowledge-of-a-subject/)

[George Horace Lorimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-horace-lorimer/)

> [If God allows us to remain Methodist, Baptist, or Episcopalian, it may be on account of the unconverted, that they may be without excuse;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-horace-lorimer/if-god-allows-us-to-remain-methodist-baptist-or-episcopalian-it-may/)

[George Horace Lorimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-horace-lorimer/)

> [There's a vast difference between having a carload of miscellaneous facts sloshing around loose in your head and getting all mixed up in transit,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-horace-lorimer/there-s-a-vast-difference-between-having-a-carload-of-miscellaneous/)

[George Horace Lorimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-horace-lorimer/)

[Explore all 65 George Horace Lorimer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-horace-lorimer/)

## More Big head quotes

> [All My Children taught me a great work ethic; you work so hard on a soap opera! It is a good way to start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-larue/all-my-children-taught-me-a-great-work-ethic-you-work-so-hard-on-a/)

[Eva LaRue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-larue/)

> [It's hard not to get a big head in the film industry, there are people on a set paid to cater to your every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-stoltz/it-s-hard-not-to-get-a-big-head-in-the-film-industry-there-are-people/)

[Eric Stoltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-stoltz/)

> [FLIRTING WORDS = Big Head , Punk, Ugly, We gone fight !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shae/flirting-words-big-head-punk-ugly-we-gone-fight/)

[Shae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shae/)

> [I hate when people forget what they were in the past and only becasue they have lots of things now they become big headed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosie/i-hate-when-people-forget-what-they-were-in-the-past-and-only-becasue/)

[Rosie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosie/)

> [I'm too competitive to get that big of a head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-j-dillashaw/i-m-too-competitive-to-get-that-big-of-a-head/)

[T.J. Dillashaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-j-dillashaw/)

> [If a woman Carries your big headed child for 9 months, least u can do is respect && support her!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-santana/if-a-woman-carries-your-big-headed-child-for-9-months-least-u-can-do/)

[Jason Santana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-santana/)

> [Be yourself, fill your life with good people, and don't get a big head. It can all be gone tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-sims/be-yourself-fill-your-life-with-good-people-and-don-t-get-a-big-head/)

[Molly Sims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-sims/)

> [He had a big head and a face so ugly it became almost fascinating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/he-had-a-big-head-and-a-face-so-ugly-it-became-almost-fascinating/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [I’ve been the same guy since day one. No matter how successful I am in life, I’m going to stay true to myself and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-green/i-ve-been-the-same-guy-since-day-one-no-matter-how-successful-i-am-in/)

[A. J. Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-green/)

> [“Fader: As we’ve discussed, there are sometimes countervailing forces in shopping. Crowds attract shoppers but might make them less likely to actually shop. (This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-sorensen/fader-as-we-ve-discussed-there-are-sometimes-countervailing-forces-in/)

[Herb Sorensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-sorensen/)

> [“Any drinker knows how the process works: the first day you get drunk is okay, the morning after means a big head but so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/any-drinker-knows-how-the-process-works-the-first-day-you-get-drunk/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [I'd rather be on this side of the camera. I feel more comfortable. I'd rather keep myself centered and keep my ego as tepid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-sarchie/i-d-rather-be-on-this-side-of-the-camera-i-feel-more-comfortable-i-d/)

[Ralph Sarchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-sarchie/)

> [“Suddenly I realized I was standing on the hot wood of the dock, still touching elbows with Adam, staring at the skull-and-crossbones pendant. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/suddenly-i-realized-i-was-standing-on-the-hot-wood-of-the-dock-still/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

> [“We decided to become development psychologists and study children because there aren't any Martians. These brilliant beings with the little bodies and big heads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/we-decided-to-become-development-psychologists-and-study-children/)

[Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/)

> [I have a little bit of a big head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-zanardi/i-have-a-little-bit-of-a-big-head/)

[Alex Zanardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-zanardi/)

Browse all 120 Big head quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If there's anything worse than knowing too little, it's knowing too much. Education will broaden a narrow mind, but there's no known cure for a big head. The best you can hope is that it will swell up and bust.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "George Horace Lorimer"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-horace-lorimer/if-there-s-anything-worse-than-knowing-too-little-it-s-knowing-too/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Big head"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-horace-lorimer/if-there-s-anything-worse-than-knowing-too-little-it-s-knowing-too/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab9/george-horace-lorimer-10398_big-head_if-there-s-anything-worse-than-knowing-t_2287755.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab9/george-horace-lorimer-10398_big-head_if-there-s-anything-worse-than-knowing-t_2287755.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab9/george-horace-lorimer-10398_big-head_if-there-s-anything-worse-than-knowing-t_2287755.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If there's anything worse than knowing too little, it's knowing too much. Education will broaden a narrow…” — George Horace Lorimer",
                "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 Horace Lorimer",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-horace-lorimer/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If there's anything worse than knowing...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-horace-lorimer/if-there-s-anything-worse-than-knowing-too-little-it-s-knowing-too/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-horace-lorimer/if-there-s-anything-worse-than-knowing-too-little-it-s-knowing-too/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```