--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For if I claim to be a wise man, it…" description: "\"“For if I claim to be a wise man, it surely means that I don't know.\" Kansas”\" — L.D. Jacobson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb0/l-d-jacobson-254869_wisdom_for-if-i-claim-to-be-a-wise-man-it-surel_2209966.jpg" --- # For if I claim to be a wise man, it surely means that I… ![“For if I claim to be a wise man, it surely means that I don't know." Kansas” quote by L.D. Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb0/l-d-jacobson-254869_wisdom_for-if-i-claim-to-be-a-wise-man-it-surel_2209966.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb0/l-d-jacobson-254869_wisdom_for-if-i-claim-to-be-a-wise-man-it-surel_2209966.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb0/l-d-jacobson-254869_wisdom_for-if-i-claim-to-be-a-wise-man-it-surel_2209966.jpg) > ““For if I claim to be a wise man, it surely means that I don't know." Kansas”” L.D. Jacobson ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Claiming wisdom reveals one's ignorance, highlighting humility as true knowledge **In simple terms:** Admitting lack of knowledge shows humility Key Takeaway Embrace humility as a path to wisdom Themes philosophy humility knowledge Mood humble insightful Type philosophical personal When to use this quote - learning - teaching - personal growth Key Concepts cognitive insight self-awareness Questions to Reflect On - What does true wisdom look like? - How to balance confidence and humility? A Different Perspective May be misread as self-deprecation ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/) [Kansas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kansas/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise/) [Wise man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise-man/) ## Related quotes > [“If I claim to be a wise man, that surely means that I don't know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-i-claim-to-be-a-wise-man-that-surely-means-that-i-don-t-know/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Somebody doesn't know they're not in Kansas anymore,' said Stephanopoulos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/somebody-doesn-t-know-they-re-not-in-kansas-anymore-said/) [Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/) > [“A wise man knows how little he knows and upon his death he drinks wisdom from an empty cup.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tarttelin/a-wise-man-knows-how-little-he-knows-and-upon-his-death-he-drinks/) John Tarttelin > [Always win fools first. They talk much, and what they have once uttered they will stick to; whereas there is always time, up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-helps/always-win-fools-first-they-talk-much-and-what-they-have-once-uttered/) [Arthur Helps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-helps/) > [It is better to be nothing than a follower of other painters. The wise man has said when one follows another one is always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-camille-corot/it-is-better-to-be-nothing-than-a-follower-of-other-painters-the-wise/) [Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-camille-corot/) > [The malady of civilized man is his knowledge of death. The good artist, like the wise man, addresses himself to life and invests with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/the-malady-of-civilized-man-is-his-knowledge-of-death-the-good-artist/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [The community has no bribe that will tempt a wise man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-community-has-no-bribe-that-will-tempt-a-wise-man/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Only fools use their mouth to speak. A smart man uses his brain, and a wise man uses his heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/only-fools-use-their-mouth-to-speak-a-smart-man-uses-his-brain-and-a/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [Ale is meat, drink and cloth; it will make a cat speak and a wise man dumb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/ale-is-meat-drink-and-cloth-it-will-make-a-cat-speak-and-a-wise-man/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [The wise man does not permit himself to set up even in his own mind any comparisons of his friends. His friendship is capable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dudley-warner/the-wise-man-does-not-permit-himself-to-set-up-even-in-his-own-mind/) [Charles Dudley Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dudley-warner/) > [A wise man listens no matter how stupidly someone is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-wise-man-listens-no-matter-how-stupidly-someone-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You are what you believe”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/you-are-what-you-believe/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [“He was a wise man who invented God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/he-was-a-wise-man-who-invented-god/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [“A wise man once said nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-wise-man-once-said-nothing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When Eudæmonidas heard a philosopher arguing that only a wise man can be a good general, "This is a wonderful speech," said he; "but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/when-eud-monidas-heard-a-philosopher-arguing-that-only-a-wise-man-can/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) ## More Ignorance quotes > [My folks tried to make a preacher of me and missed by a narrow margin… I would have made a good one if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/my-folks-tried-to-make-a-preacher-of-me-and-missed-by-a-narrow-margin/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [If you had made the acquiring of ignorance the study of your life, you could not have graduated with higher honor than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-had-made-the-acquiring-of-ignorance-the-study-of-your-life-you/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [One of the deepest and strangest of all human moods is the mood which will suddenly strike us perhaps in a garden at night,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-deepest-and-strangest-of-all-human-moods-is-the-mood-which/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Ignorance is not bliss — it is oblivion. Determined ignorance is the hastiest kind of oblivion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-wylie/ignorance-is-not-bliss-it-is-oblivion-determined-ignorance-is-the/) [Philip Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-wylie/) > [... informed ignorance provides the natural state of mind for research scientists at the ever-shifting frontiers of knowledge. People who believe themselves ignorant of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/informed-ignorance-provides-the-natural-state-of-mind-for-research/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“If knowledge does not liberate the self from the self, then ignorance is better than such knowledge.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakim-sanai/if-knowledge-does-not-liberate-the-self-from-the-self-then-ignorance/) [Hakim Sanai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakim-sanai/) > [You are senile old fool, and because of your impudence, I cannot fathom how you still live!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-are-senile-old-fool-and-because-of-your-impudence-i-cannot-fathom/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Surely, God could have caused birds to fly with their bones made of solid gold, with their veins full of quicksilver, with their flesh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galileo-galilei/surely-god-could-have-caused-birds-to-fly-with-their-bones-made-of/) [Galileo Galilei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/galileo-galilei/) > [“Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own governors, must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/knowledge-will-forever-govern-ignorance-and-a-people-who-mean-to-be/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [“Don’t turn your face away. Once you’ve seen, you can no longer act like you don’t know. Open your eyes to the truth. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vashti-quiroz-vega/don-t-turn-your-face-away-once-you-ve-seen-you-can-no-longer-act-like/) Vashti Quiroz-Vega > [Nothing is worse than active ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/nothing-is-worse-than-active-ignorance/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [The only victories which leave no regret are those which are gained over ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/the-only-victories-which-leave-no-regret-are-those-which-are-gained/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [“Those who embrace prejudice doom themselves to live in ignorance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-lintz-sr/those-who-embrace-prejudice-doom-themselves-to-live-in-ignorance/) John P Lintz Sr > [“You are a lawmaker in your own right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/you-are-a-lawmaker-in-your-own-right/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [Sanity can take one of only two forms: that of ignorance, or denial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-r-audette/sanity-can-take-one-of-only-two-forms-that-of-ignorance-or-denial/) [Derek R. Audette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-r-audette/) [Browse all 5,657 Ignorance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“For if I claim to be a wise man, it surely means that I don't know.\" Kansas”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "L.D. 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