--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: dialogue led participants not to…" description: "\"“dialogue led participants not to certainty but to a shocking realization of the profundity of human ignorance. However carefully, logically, and ratio..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d3/karen-armstrong-1053_communication_dialogue-led-participants-not-to-certain_2562681.jpg" --- # dialogue led participants not to certainty but to a… ![“dialogue led participants not to certainty but to a shocking realization of the profundity of human ignorance. However carefully, logically, and rationally Socrates and his friends analyzed a topic, something always eluded them.” quote by Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d3/karen-armstrong-1053_communication_dialogue-led-participants-not-to-certain_2562681.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d3/karen-armstrong-1053_communication_dialogue-led-participants-not-to-certain_2562681.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d3/karen-armstrong-1053_communication_dialogue-led-participants-not-to-certain_2562681.jpg) > ““dialogue led participants not to certainty but to a shocking realization of the profundity of human ignorance. However carefully, logically, and rationally Socrates and his friends analyzed a topic, something always eluded them.”” [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Dialogues reveal how much we do not know, exposing the limits of rational analysis alone. **In simple terms:** Talk shows our ignorance. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty. Themes philosophy humility learning Mood thoughtful curious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - academic seminars - political debates - personal growth Key Concepts epistemology Socratic method Questions to Reflect On - What assumptions do you hold? - How can you listen deeper? A Different Perspective Dialogue can be dominated by louder voices, limiting true insight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/) ## Related quotes > [Religious faith is the one species of human ignorance that will not admit of even the possibility of correction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/religious-faith-is-the-one-species-of-human-ignorance-that-will-not/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [ The greatest achievements in the science of this \[twentieth\] century are themselves the sources of more puzzlement than human beings have ever experienced. Indeed,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/the-greatest-achievements-in-the-science-of-this-twentieth-century/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [Let us consider how great a commodity of doctrine exists in books; how easily, how secretly, how safely they expose the nakedness of human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-de-bury/let-us-consider-how-great-a-commodity-of-doctrine-exists-in-books-how/) [Richard de Bury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-de-bury/) > [To inquisitive minds like yours and mine the reflection that the quantity of human knowledge bears no proportion to the quantity of human ignorance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/to-inquisitive-minds-like-yours-and-mine-the-reflection-that-the/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Most books are about aspects of human knowledge - Few people write books about human ignorance, despite the fact that there would be much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piero-scaruffi/most-books-are-about-aspects-of-human-knowledge-few-people-write/) [Piero Scaruffi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piero-scaruffi/) > [“While religious faith is the one species of human ignorance that will not admit of even the possibility of correction, it is still sheltered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/while-religious-faith-is-the-one-species-of-human-ignorance-that-will/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [human honesty has its varieties; so does human ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-mcnair-wright/human-honesty-has-its-varieties-so-does-human-ignorance/) [Julia McNair Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-mcnair-wright/) > [Of all the wastes of human ignorance perhaps the most extravagant and costly to human growth has been the waste of the distinctive powers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-garlin-spencer/of-all-the-wastes-of-human-ignorance-perhaps-the-most-extravagant-and/) [Anna Garlin Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-garlin-spencer/) > [The reason that history so often repeats is not only human nature, but also human ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/the-reason-that-history-so-often-repeats-is-not-only-human-nature-but/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [The only thing worse than human ignorance is human pride in that ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/the-only-thing-worse-than-human-ignorance-is-human-pride-in-that/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [Theology is now little more than a branch of human ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/theology-is-now-little-more-than-a-branch-of-human-ignorance/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“Why do we care about Lizzie Borden, or Judge Crater, or Lee Harvey Oswald, or the Little Big Horn? Mystery! Because of all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-brien/why-do-we-care-about-lizzie-borden-or-judge-crater-or-lee-harvey/) [Tim O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-brien/) > [“Religion is nothing more than bad concepts held in place of good ones for all time. It is denial - at once full of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/religion-is-nothing-more-than-bad-concepts-held-in-place-of-good-ones/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [The greatest of all the accomplishments of 20th century science has been the discovery of human ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/the-greatest-of-all-the-accomplishments-of-20th-century-science-has/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [''Most people are used to the symbols but they're too stupid to know what it really signifies.'' ''I love human ignorance it is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/most-people-are-used-to-the-symbols-but-they-re-too-stupid-to-know/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) ## More by Karen Armstrong > [If it is written and read with serious attention, a novel, like a myth or any great work of art, can become an initiation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/if-it-is-written-and-read-with-serious-attention-a-novel-like-a-myth/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [A gentleman is not born but crafted. He had to work on himself in the same way as a sculptor shaped a rough stone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/a-gentleman-is-not-born-but-crafted-he-had-to-work-on-himself-in-the/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [I was a lousy nun. I couldn't do it. I couldn't find God. It wasn't suitable for me. It is suitable for very few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/i-was-a-lousy-nun-i-couldn-t-do-it-i-couldn-t-find-god-it-wasn-t/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [I have become convinced, through my studies, that the only way to achieve a safe, just and viable world is to live by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/i-have-become-convinced-through-my-studies-that-the-only-way-to/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [In the past some of the most influential Jewish, Christian and Muslim theologians, such as Maimonides, Aquinas and Ibn Sina, made it clear that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/in-the-past-some-of-the-most-influential-jewish-christian-and-muslim/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [The great task of our time is to build a global society, where people can live together in peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/the-great-task-of-our-time-is-to-build-a-global-society-where-people/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [We want to create, never mind the leaders or the bishops or chief rabbis or imams, or Popes. We want to create a grassroots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/we-want-to-create-never-mind-the-leaders-or-the-bishops-or-chief/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [If we don't manage to implement the Golden Rule globally, so that we treat all peoples, wherever and whoever they may be, as though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/if-we-don-t-manage-to-implement-the-golden-rule-globally-so-that-we/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [After I left the convent, for 15 years I was worn out with religion, I wanted nothing whatever to do with it. I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/after-i-left-the-convent-for-15-years-i-was-worn-out-with-religion-i/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [“As we have seen, so many of the things we once took for granted have proved unreliable that we may have to “forget” old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/as-we-have-seen-so-many-of-the-things-we-once-took-for-granted-have/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [Yet a personal God can become a grave liability. He can be a mere idol carved in our own image, a projection of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/yet-a-personal-god-can-become-a-grave-liability-he-can-be-a-mere-idol/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [“I discovered that I felt at home and alive in the silence, which compelled me to enter my interior world and around there. Without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/i-discovered-that-i-felt-at-home-and-alive-in-the-silence-which/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [Each of the world religions has its own particular genius, its own special insight into the nature and requirements of compassion, and has something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/each-of-the-world-religions-has-its-own-particular-genius-its-own/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [“all rightly guided religion that submitted wholly to God, refused to worship man-made deities and preached that justice and equality came from the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/all-rightly-guided-religion-that-submitted-wholly-to-god-refused-to/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [“advocates of evolutionary theory since Thomas H. Huxley (1825–95) have found altruism problematic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/advocates-of-evolutionary-theory-since-thomas-h-huxley-1825-95-have/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) [Explore all 296 Karen Armstrong quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) ## More Communication quotes > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The problem posed by indirect speech acts is the problem of how it is possible for the speaker to say one thing and mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-searle/the-problem-posed-by-indirect-speech-acts-is-the-problem-of-how-it-is/) [John Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-searle/) > [We should have a conversation when we hang up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/we-should-have-a-conversation-when-we-hang-up/) [Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/) > [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [A poet is wounded into speech, and he examines these wounds, meticulously, to discover how to heal them. The bad poet harangues at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/a-poet-is-wounded-into-speech-and-he-examines-these-wounds/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) > [“To engage in dialogue is to serve others via whatever is real inside you; to engage in debate is to ultimately serve the illusions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oli-anderson/to-engage-in-dialogue-is-to-serve-others-via-whatever-is-real-inside/) [Oli Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oli-anderson/) > [What it comes down to for me is this: Will the technologies of communication in our culture, serve to enlighten us and help us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-waters/what-it-comes-down-to-for-me-is-this-will-the-technologies-of/) [Roger Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-waters/) > [In dialogue, there is opposition, yes, but no head-on collision. Smashing heads does not open minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/in-dialogue-there-is-opposition-yes-but-no-head-on-collision-smashing/) [Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I've been in a serious conversation with one of my children, and a fan has come up. I've been in a public bathroom and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-reddy/i-ve-been-in-a-serious-conversation-with-one-of-my-children-and-a-fan/) [Helen Reddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-reddy/) > [Life as we know it is fundamentally unsatisfying. I think most folks feel this to be true. They know that a life of aimless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-yates/life-as-we-know-it-is-fundamentally-unsatisfying-i-think-most-folks/) [Michael Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-yates/) > [Disability, in general, hasn't been included in the conversation about inclusivity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-winston-george/disability-in-general-hasn-t-been-included-in-the-conversation-about/) [Jason Winston George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-winston-george/) > [“Women will be at least 50 percent of the communications community workforce … from executive suite to interns. Why? 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