--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I know a little bit about a great many…" description: "\"I know a little bit about a great many things and not enough about any one to make a living in these times.\" — John Steinbeck" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/344/john-steinbeck-71_enough_i-know-a-little-bit-about-a-great-many-t_991617.jpg" --- # I know a little bit about a great many things and not… ![“I know a little bit about a great many things and not enough about any one to make a living in these times.” quote by John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/344/john-steinbeck-71_enough_i-know-a-little-bit-about-a-great-many-t_991617.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/344/john-steinbeck-71_enough_i-know-a-little-bit-about-a-great-many-t_991617.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/344/john-steinbeck-71_enough_i-know-a-little-bit-about-a-great-many-t_991617.jpg) > “I know a little bit about a great many things and not enough about any one to make a living in these times.” [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Broad knowledge without depth hampers professional viability in modern economies. **In simple terms:** Knowing a little about many things limits earning potential. Key Takeaway Focus on deep expertise for sustainable income. Themes career education specialization Mood reflective pragmatic Type advice motivational When to use this quote - job hunting - career planning - skill development - entrepreneurship Key Concepts human capital skill depth market demand Questions to Reflect On - What skill could you deepen to increase value? - How can you balance breadth and depth? A Different Perspective Depth often requires time and resources not everyone can afford. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Great man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-man/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Know Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-little-238579/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Little bit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-bit/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Things Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-make-257751/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [It does no harm to the romance of the sunset to know a little bit about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-does-no-harm-to-the-romance-of-the-sunset-to-know-a-little-bit/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [So I think I know a little bit about winning, if there's ever a concern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-lowe/so-i-think-i-know-a-little-bit-about-winning-if-there-s-ever-a-concern/) [Kevin Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-lowe/) > [I can't say that there are 'things' that make me come alive. There are thoughts that make me come alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-can-t-say-that-there-are-things-that-make-me-come-alive-there-are/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [There are certain things that make restaurants work and a certain kind of DNA that people who excel in restaurants need. But it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/there-are-certain-things-that-make-restaurants-work-and-a-certain/) [Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/) > [My father was truly a great man. I remember one day putting my feet in my father's shoes. I was amazed at the size.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-b-wirthlin/my-father-was-truly-a-great-man-i-remember-one-day-putting-my-feet-in/) [Joseph B. Wirthlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-b-wirthlin/) > [“Granted that I know little of my real self, still, I am the best evidence for myself. And though, when I have quitted this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/granted-that-i-know-little-of-my-real-self-still-i-am-the-best/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Learning is realizing you know so little that you become so eager to fill it up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/learning-is-realizing-you-know-so-little-that-you-become-so-eager-to/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [Be slow to judge for we know little of what has been done and nothing of what has been resisted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/be-slow-to-judge-for-we-know-little-of-what-has-been-done-and-nothing/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [My reading of philosophy and history is desultory; I know so much and yet so little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/my-reading-of-philosophy-and-history-is-desultory-i-know-so-much-and/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [Science tells us what we can know, but what we can know is little, and if we forget how much we cannot know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/science-tells-us-what-we-can-know-but-what-we-can-know-is-little-and/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [..to know a little about a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-know-a-little-about-a-lot/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [History and war are cruel pedants. Those who know too little of the former are likely to have too much of the latter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/history-and-war-are-cruel-pedants-those-who-know-too-little-of-the/) [Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/) > [How it is we have so much information, but know so little?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/how-it-is-we-have-so-much-information-but-know-so-little/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“As someone else once said, "Write what you know". Well I know very little, so I write, and illustrate, Nonsense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-h-tubb/as-someone-else-once-said-write-what-you-know-well-i-know-very-little/) [Paul H Tubb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-h-tubb/) > [We know accurately only when we know little, with knowledge doubt increases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/we-know-accurately-only-when-we-know-little-with-knowledge-doubt/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) ## More by John Steinbeck > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Prayer never brought in no side-meat. Takes a shoat to bring in pork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/prayer-never-brought-in-no-side-meat-takes-a-shoat-to-bring-in-pork/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“And now submarines are armed with mass murder, our silly, only way of deterring mass murder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/and-now-submarines-are-armed-with-mass-murder-our-silly-only-way-of/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“I’d think there are degrees of greatness,” Adam said. “I don’t think so,” said Samuel. “That would be like saying there is a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-d-think-there-are-degrees-of-greatness-adam-said-i-don-t-think-so/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“He was forever inventing a new way of doing an old thing and doing it better and quicker, but he never in his whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/he-was-forever-inventing-a-new-way-of-doing-an-old-thing-and-doing-it/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“You come back a changed man. 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Feed a man, clothe him, put him in a good house,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-have-noticed-that-there-is-no-dissatisfaction-like-that-of-the-rich/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“Who in his mind has not probe the dark water?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/who-in-his-mind-has-not-probe-the-dark-water/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Sometimes, a lie is told in kindness. I don't believe it ever works kindly. 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In Yurrp writers are taken as seriously as Lana Turner's legs are in America…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-am-writing-this-from-what-we-americans-call-yurrp-in-yurrp-writers/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I write because I like to write. I find joy in the texture and tone and rhythm of words. 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