--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One ought to go too far, in order to know…" description: "\"One ought to go too far, in order to know how far one can go.\" — Heinrich Böll" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dd/heinrich-b-ll-13574_know_one-ought-to-go-too-far-in-order-to-know_2045607.png" --- # One ought to go too far, in order to know how far one can… ![“One ought to go too far, in order to know how far one can go.” quote by Heinrich Böll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dd/heinrich-b-ll-13574_know_one-ought-to-go-too-far-in-order-to-know_2045607.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dd/heinrich-b-ll-13574_know_one-ought-to-go-too-far-in-order-to-know_2045607.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dd/heinrich-b-ll-13574_know_one-ought-to-go-too-far-in-order-to-know_2045607.png) > “One ought to go too far, in order to know how far one can go.” [Heinrich Böll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Testing limits reveals true capacity; overreaching teaches self‑knowledge. **In simple terms:** Go far to discover limits. Key Takeaway Stretch beyond comfort to learn limits. Themes growth self‑discovery courage Mood determined reflective Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career advancement - athletic training - creative projects Key Concepts philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - What limits have you tested? - How do you gauge safe overextension? A Different Perspective Excessive risk may cause failure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Far Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/far-order-3829421/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Know Far](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-far-879706/) [Know how](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-how/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Order Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order-know-2242292/) [Ought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ought/) [Too far](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-far/) ## Related quotes > [ In order to know what \[the law\] is, we must know what it has been, and what it tends to become. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-order-to-know-what-the-law-is-we-must-know-what-it-has-been-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You mine your own past in order to get to know yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-simmons/you-mine-your-own-past-in-order-to-get-to-know-yourself/) [Laurie Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-simmons/) > [In order to know your enemy, you must become your enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bradford/in-order-to-know-your-enemy-you-must-become-your-enemy/) [Chris Bradford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bradford/) > [“I don't know how far it got, but it looked pretty flightworthy from where I was standing,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-merrick/i-don-t-know-how-far-it-got-but-it-looked-pretty-flightworthy-from/) [Steve Merrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-merrick/) > [“With such a small brain, I don't know how you made it this far.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-shan/with-such-a-small-brain-i-don-t-know-how-you-made-it-this-far/) [Darren shan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-shan/) > [If a woman never lets herself go, how will she ever know how far she might have got?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germaine-greer/if-a-woman-never-lets-herself-go-how-will-she-ever-know-how-far-she/) [Germaine Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germaine-greer/) > [Hit me up in 20 yrs!!! Let me know how far being fake got you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/hit-me-up-in-20-yrs-let-me-know-how-far-being-fake-got-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you take another step, and another, you will be surprised to know how far you can go from the point you thought was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhatsprincess/if-you-take-another-step-and-another-you-will-be-surprised-to-know/) [ZhatsPrincess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhatsprincess/) > [You never know how far you can go unless you run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-never-know-how-far-you-can-go-unless-you-run/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you're not brave enough to take the first step, then you'll never know how far you can go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-re-not-brave-enough-to-take-the-first-step-then-you-ll-never/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Even though I know how very far apart we are, it helps to think we might be wishing underneath the same bright star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-ronstadt/even-though-i-know-how-very-far-apart-we-are-it-helps-to-think-we/) [Linda Ronstadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-ronstadt/) > [When you are absolutely, positively sure you know all there is to know about anything, you're as far from the truth as you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-hull/when-you-are-absolutely-positively-sure-you-know-all-there-is-to-know/) [Bobby Hull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-hull/) > [“Whoever risks, shall know how far they can reach.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/whoever-risks-shall-know-how-far-they-can-reach/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Sometimes the only way to know how far you'd come was to return to where you once had been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/sometimes-the-only-way-to-know-how-far-you-d-come-was-to-return-to/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [“We know far more than we were ever taught.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-smith/we-know-far-more-than-we-were-ever-taught/) [Frank Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-smith/) ## More by Heinrich Böll > [Humor is really one of the hardest things to define, very hard. And it's very ambiguous. You have it or you don't. You can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/humor-is-really-one-of-the-hardest-things-to-define-very-hard-and-it/) [Heinrich Böll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [I don't trust Catholics," I said, "because they take advantage of you." "And Protestants?" he asked with a laugh. "I loathe the way they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/i-don-t-trust-catholics-i-said-because-they-take-advantage-of-you-and/) [Heinrich Böll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [Humor is really one of the hardest things to define, very hard. And it's very ambiguous. You have it, or you don't. You can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/humor-is-really-one-of-the-hardest-things-to-define-very-hard-and-it-2/) [Heinrich Boll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [Medals don't suit me. I'm not that kind of guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/medals-don-t-suit-me-i-m-not-that-kind-of-guy/) [Heinrich Boll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [“Feelings can kill such good hard things as love and hate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/feelings-can-kill-such-good-hard-things-as-love-and-hate/) [Heinrich Böll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [I was born December 21, 1917, in Cologne, on the Rhine, the son of the sculptor and cabinet-maker, Viktor Boell, and his wife, Maria, nee Hermanns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/i-was-born-december-21-1917-in-cologne-on-the-rhine-the-son-of-the/) [Heinrich Boll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [Politicians, ideologists, theologians and philosophers try time and again to provide solutions with nothing remaining: prefab solved problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/politicians-ideologists-theologians-and-philosophers-try-time-and/) [Heinrich Boll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [Between 1950 and 1951, I worked as a temporary employee in the Cologne Bureau of Statistics. From summer 1951 on, I have lived as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/between-1950-and-1951-i-worked-as-a-temporary-employee-in-the-cologne/) [Heinrich Boll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [I am a clown...and I collect moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/i-am-a-clown-and-i-collect-moments/) [Heinrich Böll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [Behind every word a whole world is hidden that must be imagined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/behind-every-word-a-whole-world-is-hidden-that-must-be-imagined/) [Heinrich Böll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [My most interesting correspondence is with my translators. I marvel at their sensitivity over certain passages that just anyone, even if he knows German…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/my-most-interesting-correspondence-is-with-my-translators-i-marvel-at/) [Heinrich Boll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [It's true and it's easily said that language is material, and something does materialise as one writes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/it-s-true-and-it-s-easily-said-that-language-is-material-and/) [Heinrich Boll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [On a visit to Cologne in March 1945, after a heavy bombing, I met hundreds and hundreds of deserters who were squatting in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/on-a-visit-to-cologne-in-march-1945-after-a-heavy-bombing-i-met/) [Heinrich Boll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [Because the completion of labour service was a precondition for permission to study at the university, I was able to begin my studies of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/because-the-completion-of-labour-service-was-a-precondition-for/) [Heinrich Boll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [If you want to do something... get up and actually do it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/if-you-want-to-do-something-get-up-and-actually-do-it/) [Heinrich Böll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) [Explore all 38 Heinrich Böll quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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 ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "One ought to go too far, in order to know how far one can go.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Heinrich Böll" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/one-ought-to-go-too-far-in-order-to-know-how-far-one-can-go/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Know" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/one-ought-to-go-too-far-in-order-to-know-how-far-one-can-go/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dd/heinrich-b-ll-13574_know_one-ought-to-go-too-far-in-order-to-know_2045607.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dd/heinrich-b-ll-13574_know_one-ought-to-go-too-far-in-order-to-know_2045607.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dd/heinrich-b-ll-13574_know_one-ought-to-go-too-far-in-order-to-know_2045607.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“One ought to go too far, in order to know how far one can go.” — Heinrich Böll", "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": "Heinrich Böll", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "One ought to go too far,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/one-ought-to-go-too-far-in-order-to-know-how-far-one-can-go/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/one-ought-to-go-too-far-in-order-to-know-how-far-one-can-go/#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 } } ] } ```