--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You'd be surprised how little I knew even…" description: "\"You'd be surprised how little I knew even up to yesterday\" — Jack Kerouac" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c8/jack-kerouac-182_littles_you-d-be-surprised-how-little-i-knew-eve_230846.jpg" --- # You'd be surprised how little I knew even up to yesterday ![“You'd be surprised how little I knew even up to yesterday” quote by Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c8/jack-kerouac-182_littles_you-d-be-surprised-how-little-i-knew-eve_230846.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c8/jack-kerouac-182_littles_you-d-be-surprised-how-little-i-knew-eve_230846.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c8/jack-kerouac-182_littles_you-d-be-surprised-how-little-i-knew-eve_230846.jpg) > “You'd be surprised how little I knew even up to yesterday” [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. One often discovers how little they truly know, even recently. **In simple terms:** We know less than we think. Key Takeaway Acknowledge your knowledge limits. Themes selfawareness humility learning Mood introspective humble Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - education - travel - creative work Key Concepts personal growth philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What recent surprise revealed a knowledge gap? - How can you stay open to learning? A Different Perspective Overconfidence can blind learning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Knew Yesterday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew-yesterday-2337010/) [Little Knew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-knew-2337011/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Surprised](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprised/) [Surprised Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprised-little-252518/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Yesterday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yesterday/) ## Related quotes > [I knew there was something I had to do yesterday. I couldn't remember what it is. I can't figure it out. I know it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-beals/i-knew-there-was-something-i-had-to-do-yesterday-i-couldn-t-remember/) [Jennifer Beals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-beals/) > [“You'd be surprised how little voice you have when you lose everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-bracken/you-d-be-surprised-how-little-voice-you-have-when-you-lose-everything/) [Alexandra Bracken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-bracken/) > [“what we knew yesterday, will be doubted today and proved wrong tomorrow”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wilfred-sharp/what-we-knew-yesterday-will-be-doubted-today-and-proved-wrong-tomorrow/) [john wilfred sharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wilfred-sharp/) > [If you knew me yesterday, please do not think that it is the same person that you are meeting today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/if-you-knew-me-yesterday-please-do-not-think-that-it-is-the-same/) [John Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-powell/) > [It wasn't until I set out to write a novel about marriage that I realized how little I knew about the institution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-jenkins-reid/it-wasn-t-until-i-set-out-to-write-a-novel-about-marriage-that-i/) [Taylor Jenkins Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-jenkins-reid/) > [“He was a man of great depth but of limited breadth, so that while he knew very little, he knew a great deal about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-flynn/he-was-a-man-of-great-depth-but-of-limited-breadth-so-that-while-he/) [Michael Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-flynn/) > [“I knew little, but at least I knew that: no one could speak for someone else. That although we might want to tell other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-zambra/i-knew-little-but-at-least-i-knew-that-no-one-could-speak-for-someone/) [Alejandro Zambra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-zambra/) > [“I can’t overstate how little I knew about myself at 22, or how little I’d thought about what I was doing. 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You can accept that from a supermarket cashier - but not from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerardo-martino/i-was-surprised-by-how-little-they-knew-about-me-at-barcelona-you-can/) [Gerardo Martino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerardo-martino/) > [The Gold Glove surprised me a little. To tell you the truth, I didn't expect it. I feel I played at the top of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-vizquel/the-gold-glove-surprised-me-a-little-to-tell-you-the-truth-i-didn-t/) [Omar Vizquel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-vizquel/) > [Save a little money each month and at the end of the year you'll be surprised at how little you have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-haskins/save-a-little-money-each-month-and-at-the-end-of-the-year-you-ll-be/) [Ernest Haskins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-haskins/) ## More by Jack Kerouac > [Bein Crazy is the least of my worries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/bein-crazy-is-the-least-of-my-worries/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [I'm Catholic and I can't commit suicide, but I plan to drink myself to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-m-catholic-and-i-can-t-commit-suicide-but-i-plan-to-drink-myself-to/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [The Beat Generation, that was a vision that we had, John Clellon Holmes and I, and Allen Ginsberg in an even wilder way, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/the-beat-generation-that-was-a-vision-that-we-had-john-clellon-holmes/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [But, outside of being a sweet little girl, she was awfully dumb and capable of doing horrible things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/but-outside-of-being-a-sweet-little-girl-she-was-awfully-dumb-and/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [“For when you realized that God is Everything you know that you've got to love everything no matter how bad it is, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/for-when-you-realized-that-god-is-everything-you-know-that-you-ve-got/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [“I'm an idealist who has outgrown my idealism I have nothing to do the rest of my life but do it and the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-m-an-idealist-who-has-outgrown-my-idealism-i-have-nothing-to-do-the/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [“Most of them were running away from something―usually the law.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/most-of-them-were-running-away-from-something-usually-the-law/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [“Non lo so, non importa e non fa nessuna differenza.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/non-lo-so-non-importa-e-non-fa-nessuna-differenza/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [“And in the flush of the first few days of joy I confidently tell myself (not expecting what I'll do in three weeks only)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/and-in-the-flush-of-the-first-few-days-of-joy-i-confidently-tell/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [I want a blaze of light to flame in me forever in a timeless, dear love of everything. And why should I pretend to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-want-a-blaze-of-light-to-flame-in-me-forever-in-a-timeless-dear/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [“For the next week that was all I heard - manana, a lovely word and one that probably means heaven.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/for-the-next-week-that-was-all-i-heard-manana-a-lovely-word-and-one/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [“O how wonderful life is, how miraculous, God made this and God made that", "how do you know he doesn't hate what He did:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/o-how-wonderful-life-is-how-miraculous-god-made-this-and-god-made/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [Notoriety and public confession in the literary form is a frazzler of the heart you were born with, believe me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/notoriety-and-public-confession-in-the-literary-form-is-a-frazzler-of/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [I promise I shall never give up, and that I'll die yelling & laughing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-promise-i-shall-never-give-up-and-that-i-ll-die-yelling-laughing/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [“The hot water pools are steaming, Fagan and Monsanto and the others are all sitting peacefully up to their necks, they're all naked, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/the-hot-water-pools-are-steaming-fagan-and-monsanto-and-the-others/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) [Explore all 936 Jack Kerouac quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) ## More Littles quotes > [You gotta have a little kid in you to play football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-edwards/you-gotta-have-a-little-kid-in-you-to-play-football/) [Herman Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-edwards/) > [I don't understand why we're all connected wirelessly via a little machine that goes in our pocket, to everybody in the world, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-m-chu/i-don-t-understand-why-we-re-all-connected-wirelessly-via-a-little/) [Jon M. Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-m-chu/) > [ Brad \[Dourif\] would tell himself that he was not intentionally trying to mimic Jack Nicholson in any way. I think that actually bothers him… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kirschner/brad-dourif-would-tell-himself-that-he-was-not-intentionally-trying/) [David Kirschner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kirschner/) > [You smile upon your friend to-day, To-day his ills are over; You hearken to the lover's say, And happy is the lover. 'Tis late…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-smile-upon-your-friend-to-day-to-day-his-ills-are-over-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I remember that the bass was turned up slightly more on the mix from last week, and I thought that was good - or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ronson/i-remember-that-the-bass-was-turned-up-slightly-more-on-the-mix-from/) [Mark Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ronson/) > [I always step on the plane with my right foot and touch the outside of the plane with my left hand. Sometimes you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-davis/i-always-step-on-the-plane-with-my-right-foot-and-touch-the-outside/) [Hope Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-davis/) > [I was very lucky to get well known much later in life. You need to have flopped quite a few times to get a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/i-was-very-lucky-to-get-well-known-much-later-in-life-you-need-to/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [ The social \[media channel\] isn't about beauty contests and popularity contests. They're a distortion, a caricature of the real thing. It's about trust, connection,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/the-social-media-channel-isn-t-about-beauty-contests-and-popularity/) [Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/) > [It's only a little difficult to say no. You've got to believe that the work you're doing is ultimately more useful to the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/it-s-only-a-little-difficult-to-say-no-you-ve-got-to-believe-that-the/) [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) > [We're raising children who have little tolerance for disappointment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/we-re-raising-children-who-have-little-tolerance-for-disappointment/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [Must I go bound while you go free Must I love a manwho doesn't love me Must I be born with so little art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/must-i-go-bound-while-you-go-free-must-i-love-a-manwho-doesn-t-love/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [The happy medium is television. And if you find a good suitor, you can do it for years. With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/) [Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/) > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [All lyrical work must, as a whole, be perfectly intelligible, but in some particulars a little unintelligible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/all-lyrical-work-must-as-a-whole-be-perfectly-intelligible-but-in/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) [Browse all 27,615 Littles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You'd be surprised how little I knew even up to yesterday", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jack Kerouac" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/you-d-be-surprised-how-little-i-knew-even-up-to-yesterday/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Littles" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/you-d-be-surprised-how-little-i-knew-even-up-to-yesterday/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c8/jack-kerouac-182_littles_you-d-be-surprised-how-little-i-knew-eve_230846.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c8/jack-kerouac-182_littles_you-d-be-surprised-how-little-i-knew-eve_230846.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c8/jack-kerouac-182_littles_you-d-be-surprised-how-little-i-knew-eve_230846.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You'd be surprised how little I knew even up to yesterday” — Jack Kerouac", "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": "Jack Kerouac", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You'd be surprised how little I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/you-d-be-surprised-how-little-i-knew-even-up-to-yesterday/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/you-d-be-surprised-how-little-i-knew-even-up-to-yesterday/#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 } } ] } ```