--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They're an impenetrable fortress of…" description: "\"“They're an impenetrable fortress of unknowability, really.”\" — John Green" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ac/john-green-12_fortress_they-re-an-impenetrable-fortress-of-unkn_2559392.jpg" --- # They're an impenetrable fortress of unknowability, really. ![“They're an impenetrable fortress of unknowability, really.” quote by John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ac/john-green-12_fortress_they-re-an-impenetrable-fortress-of-unkn_2559392.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ac/john-green-12_fortress_they-re-an-impenetrable-fortress-of-unkn_2559392.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ac/john-green-12_fortress_they-re-an-impenetrable-fortress-of-unkn_2559392.jpg) > ““They're an impenetrable fortress of unknowability, really.”” [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Some ideas are so complex they seem impenetrable, making them hard to grasp. **In simple terms:** Complex ideas can feel unknowable. Key Takeaway Seek clarity through questioning. Themes knowledge complexity communication understanding Mood curious reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - academic study - personal learning - teaching - debate Key Concepts epistemology philosophy education Questions to Reflect On - What topics feel unknowable to you? - How can you break them down? A Different Perspective Complexity can be simplified with effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“When I was in Colditz, that impenetrable fortress, whittling away my life, I wanted to know this." "Looks like you're still there, Shura." "No,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paullina-simons/when-i-was-in-colditz-that-impenetrable-fortress-whittling-away-my/) [Paullina Simons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paullina-simons/) > [“Whenever a stray thought about Aaron, Taylor, or their relationship with Molly wanders into view, I push it into the folder near the back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rysa-walker/whenever-a-stray-thought-about-aaron-taylor-or-their-relationship/) [Rysa Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rysa-walker/) > [“Doing this always calmed her. It was like imagining the protective walls of an impenetrable fortress. She”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liane-moriarty/doing-this-always-calmed-her-it-was-like-imagining-the-protective/) [Liane Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liane-moriarty/) > [That boy hardly needed a mask when his naked face was already impenetrable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/that-boy-hardly-needed-a-mask-when-his-naked-face-was-already/) [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) > [“It's like there's a glass wall between us now, invisible but impenetrable”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/it-s-like-there-s-a-glass-wall-between-us-now-invisible-but/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [Artists probably should have some impenetrable aspects of themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-callow/artists-probably-should-have-some-impenetrable-aspects-of-themselves/) [Simon Callow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-callow/) > [That which is impenetrable to us really exists. Behind the secrets of nature remains something subtle, intangible, and inexplicable. Veneration for this force beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/that-which-is-impenetrable-to-us-really-exists-behind-the-secrets-of/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I think it's easy to make impenetrable music that nobody can get, and you can hide behind that sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-reznor/i-think-it-s-easy-to-make-impenetrable-music-that-nobody-can-get-and/) [Trent Reznor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-reznor/) > [Nothing is so impenetrable as laughter in a language you don't understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/nothing-is-so-impenetrable-as-laughter-in-a-language-you-don-t/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [For an impenetrable shield, stand inside yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/for-an-impenetrable-shield-stand-inside-yourself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I can never say 'why' about anything I do. I suppose I can say 'how' and 'when' and 'what.' But 'why' is impenetrable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/i-can-never-say-why-about-anything-i-do-i-suppose-i-can-say-how-and/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [“Within a broken heart lie a realm of impenetrable shadows, and the echo of what could have been.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-alexander/within-a-broken-heart-lie-a-realm-of-impenetrable-shadows-and-the/) [Felix Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-alexander/) > [Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/let-your-plans-be-dark-and-impenetrable-as-night/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [However impenetrable it seems, if you don't try it, then you can never do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-wiles/however-impenetrable-it-seems-if-you-don-t-try-it-then-you-can-never/) [Andrew Wiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-wiles/) > [“As we survey the challenges of life, that which is easy is rarely right. In fact, the course that we should properly follow appears…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/as-we-survey-the-challenges-of-life-that-which-is-easy-is-rarely/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) ## More by John Green > [Issac:"I dislike living in a world without Augustus Waters." Computer: "I don't understand-" Issac: "Me neither. Pause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/issac-i-dislike-living-in-a-world-without-augustus-waters-computer-i/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I just want to stay away from people and read books and think”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-just-want-to-stay-away-from-people-and-read-books-and-think/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [She smiled with all the delight of a kid on Christmas morning and said, "Y'all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die." -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/she-smiled-with-all-the-delight-of-a-kid-on-christmas-morning-and/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [A Margo for each of us--and each more mirror than window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/a-margo-for-each-of-us-and-each-more-mirror-than-window/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“No one ever says good-bye unless they want to see you again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/no-one-ever-says-good-bye-unless-they-want-to-see-you-again/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Neither novels or their readers benefit from any attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. Such efforts attack the very idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/neither-novels-or-their-readers-benefit-from-any-attempts-to-divine/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Traffic's not too bad on Sheridan, and I'm cornering the car like it's the Indy 500, and we're listening to my favorite NMH song,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/traffic-s-not-too-bad-on-sheridan-and-i-m-cornering-the-car-like-it-s/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Praise God for good nurses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/praise-god-for-good-nurses/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [So I was ugly. I was never fat, really, and I never wore headgear or had zits or anything. But I was ugly. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/so-i-was-ugly-i-was-never-fat-really-and-i-never-wore-headgear-or-had/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Nothing has ever looked like that ever in all of human history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/nothing-has-ever-looked-like-that-ever-in-all-of-human-history/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“said to him quietly, as if I couldn’t hear or something. Dad was about to respond but I interrupted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/said-to-him-quietly-as-if-i-couldn-t-hear-or-something-dad-was-about/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I believe humans have souls, and I believe in the conservation of souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-believe-humans-have-souls-and-i-believe-in-the-conservation-of-souls/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“He was hot. A nonhotboy stares at you relentlessly and it is, at best, awkward and, at worst, a form of assault. But a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/he-was-hot-a-nonhotboy-stares-at-you-relentlessly-and-it-is-at-best/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I think if you keep the box closed long enough you do kill the cat, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-think-if-you-keep-the-box-closed-long-enough-you-do-kill-the-cat/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia. (...) You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you'll escape it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/imagining-the-future-is-a-kind-of-nostalgia-you-spend-your-whole-life/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) [Explore all 3,614 John Green quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## More Fortress quotes > [ Their \[the U.S.’s\] defense budget in absolute figures is almost 25 times bigger than Russia’s. This is what in defense is referred to as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/their-the-u-s-s-defense-budget-in-absolute-figures-is-almost-25-times/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [Israel is becoming a fortress. Fences along the borders with Egypt, Lebanon, and Syria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/israel-is-becoming-a-fortress-fences-along-the-borders-with-egypt/) [Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/) > [“Let the sandcastle collapse. In its place, I will build a fortress—one that the waves of nature and time could never destroy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/let-the-sandcastle-collapse-in-its-place-i-will-build-a-fortress-one/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [“For twenty years, Peter had been playing with soldiers; first toys, then boys, then grown men. His games had grown from drills involving a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-k-massie/for-twenty-years-peter-had-been-playing-with-soldiers-first-toys-then/) [Robert K. Massie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-k-massie/) > [There is no fortress so strong that money cannot take it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/there-is-no-fortress-so-strong-that-money-cannot-take-it/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [“I dream of a fortress so strong it can lock out the past.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mako-yoshikawa/i-dream-of-a-fortress-so-strong-it-can-lock-out-the-past/) Mako Yoshikawa > [“If I succeed in mentally constructing a fortress from which it is impossible to escape, this conceived fortress either will be the same as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/if-i-succeed-in-mentally-constructing-a-fortress-from-which-it-is/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [“The fortress was entered by tunnels in the rock, and, over the entrance to each tunnel, there was a notice which said: EVERYTHING NOT…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white/the-fortress-was-entered-by-tunnels-in-the-rock-and-over-the-entrance/) [T.H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white/) > [“The black ash that inundated the island was suitable for a superior quality of concrete, and the resulting caves, bunkers, pillboxes and large rooms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/the-black-ash-that-inundated-the-island-was-suitable-for-a-superior/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [Neither a Fortress nor a Maidenhead will hold out long after they begin to parley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/neither-a-fortress-nor-a-maidenhead-will-hold-out-long-after-they/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“A fortress built long ago, Walls made timeless by historic glory. The small girl in the boat slows, To listen to its story.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-lewis/a-fortress-built-long-ago-walls-made-timeless-by-historic-glory-the/) Rachel Lewis > [“God is my fortress.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/god-is-my-fortress/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [My distinguishing feature is the gap between my teeth. I had to wear a brace because my teeth used to stick out like guns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-birkin/my-distinguishing-feature-is-the-gap-between-my-teeth-i-had-to-wear-a/) [Jane Birkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-birkin/) > [There is no sanctuary so holy that money cannot profane it, no fortress so strong that money cannot take it by storm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/there-is-no-sanctuary-so-holy-that-money-cannot-profane-it-no/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [His Name will never fall. His Name will never be defeated. His Name will never be reduced to rubble. A tower that’s stronger than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-curtis-higgs/his-name-will-never-fall-his-name-will-never-be-defeated-his-name/) [Liz Curtis Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-curtis-higgs/) Browse all 108 Fortress quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“They're an impenetrable fortress of unknowability, really.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Green" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/they-re-an-impenetrable-fortress-of-unknowability-really/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fortress" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/they-re-an-impenetrable-fortress-of-unknowability-really/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ac/john-green-12_fortress_they-re-an-impenetrable-fortress-of-unkn_2559392.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ac/john-green-12_fortress_they-re-an-impenetrable-fortress-of-unkn_2559392.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ac/john-green-12_fortress_they-re-an-impenetrable-fortress-of-unkn_2559392.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“They're an impenetrable fortress of unknowability, really.” — John Green", "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": "John Green", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“They're an impenetrable fortress of unknowability,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/they-re-an-impenetrable-fortress-of-unknowability-really/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/they-re-an-impenetrable-fortress-of-unknowability-really/#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 } } ] } ```