--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man may have intelligence enough to…" description: "\"A man may have intelligence enough to excel in a particular thing and lecture on it, and yet not have sense enough to know he ought to be silent on som..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f43/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_bounds_a-man-may-have-intelligence-enough-to-ex_1724320.png" --- # A man may have intelligence enough to excel in a… ![“A man may have intelligence enough to excel in a particular thing and lecture on it, and yet not have sense enough to know he ought to be silent on some other subject of which he has but a slight knowledge; if such an illustrious man ventures beyond the bounds of his capacity, he loses his way and…” quote by Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f43/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_bounds_a-man-may-have-intelligence-enough-to-ex_1724320.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f43/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_bounds_a-man-may-have-intelligence-enough-to-ex_1724320.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f43/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_bounds_a-man-may-have-intelligence-enough-to-ex_1724320.png) > “A man may have intelligence enough to excel in a particular thing and lecture on it, and yet not have sense enough to know he ought to be silent on some other subject of which he has but a slight knowledge; if such an illustrious man ventures beyond the bounds of his capacity, he loses his way and talks like a fool.” [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Specialists may speak author outside their expertise, appearing foolish. **In simple terms:** Experts should stay silent on topics they barely know. Key Takeaway Know the limits of your knowledge. Themes humility expertise communication Mood thoughtful cautious Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - public speaking - teaching - leadership - decision making Key Concepts philosophy education Questions to Reflect On - When should you admit ignorance? - How does humility affect influence? A Different Perspective Overconfidence can damage credibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bounds/) [Capacity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capacity/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Lecture Sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lecture-sense-1368009/) [Lectures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lectures/) [Loses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loses/) [Man Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-intelligence-381185/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Ought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ought/) [Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particular/) [Silent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silent/) [Slight Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slight-knowledge-1060729/) [Specialization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/specialization/) [Subjects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subjects/) [Thing Lecture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-lecture-1368010/) [Venture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/venture/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [I do not believe that any man can adequately appreciate the world of to-day unless he has some knowledge of -- a little more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/i-do-not-believe-that-any-man-can-adequately-appreciate-the-world-of/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [The hands are the instruments of man’s intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/the-hands-are-the-instruments-of-man-s-intelligence/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [“Nothing demonstrates this more than man's intelligence: it has a capacity far beyond what would have been necessary in animal terms.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aharon-feldman/nothing-demonstrates-this-more-than-man-s-intelligence-it-has-a/) [Aharon Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aharon-feldman/) > [No man of any intelligence would pretend to know a female mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-quinn/no-man-of-any-intelligence-would-pretend-to-know-a-female-mind/) [Julia Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-quinn/) > [A man's intelligence does not increase as he acquires power. 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No, the true measure of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/the-true-measure-of-a-man-is-not-his-intelligence-or-how-high-he/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [There are three types of intelligence. The intelligence of man, the intelligence of animals and the intelligence of the military. In that order.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gottfried-reinhardt/there-are-three-types-of-intelligence-the-intelligence-of-man-the/) [Gottfried Reinhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gottfried-reinhardt/) > [The real man of intelligence will not cling to any ideology - for what? He will not carry a load of readymade answers. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-real-man-of-intelligence-will-not-cling-to-any-ideology-for-what/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“He is a man of intelligence, but to act sensibly, intelligence is not enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/he-is-a-man-of-intelligence-but-to-act-sensibly-intelligence-is-not/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) ## More by Jean de la Bruyere > [I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict Scripture. MARTIN LUTHER, letter to Chancellor Gregory Brück, January 13,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-cannot-forbid-a-person-to-marry-several-wives-for-it-does-not/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [The unfaithful woman, if she is known for such by the person concerned, is only unfaithful. 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We are to press the matter, not with vain repetitions, but with urgent repetitions. We repeat, not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/importunity-is-a-condition-of-prayer-we-are-to-press-the-matter-not/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [If the civil magistrate be a Christian, a disciple or follower of the meek Lamb of God, he is bound to be far from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-williams/if-the-civil-magistrate-be-a-christian-a-disciple-or-follower-of-the/) [Roger Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-williams/) > [We have committed ourselves to pursue joint policies, but then national governments say, "We aren't bound by that." That is a dramatic situation, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/we-have-committed-ourselves-to-pursue-joint-policies-but-then/) [Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/) > [The World's a Printing-House, our words, our thoughts, Our deeds, are characters of several sizes. Each soul is a Compos'tor, of whose faults The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/the-world-s-a-printing-house-our-words-our-thoughts-our-deeds-are/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [Christian obligation cannot be made to accord with a law of expediency. 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