--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The glamour's off. Almost any question…" description: "\"“The glamour's off. Almost any question you ask can be answered. It's only the questions that you didn't know to ask that remain, dancing the can-can b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67a/mark-forsyth-19782_books_the-glamour-s-off-almost-any-question-yo_962277.jpg" --- # The glamour's off. Almost any question you ask can be… ![“The glamour's off. Almost any question you ask can be answered. It's only the questions that you didn't know to ask that remain, dancing the can-can behind your back. The unknown unknowns.” quote by Mark Forsyth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67a/mark-forsyth-19782_books_the-glamour-s-off-almost-any-question-yo_962277.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67a/mark-forsyth-19782_books_the-glamour-s-off-almost-any-question-yo_962277.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67a/mark-forsyth-19782_books_the-glamour-s-off-almost-any-question-yo_962277.jpg) > ““The glamour's off. Almost any question you ask can be answered. It's only the questions that you didn't know to ask that remain, dancing the can-can behind your back. The unknown unknowns.”” [Mark Forsyth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-forsyth/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Only the questions we don’t know to ask remain hidden; unknown unknowns are the biggest blind spots. **In simple terms:** Unasked questions hide the biggest mysteries. Key Takeaway Identify and ask the right questions. Themes curiosity knowledge uncertainty learning critical thinking Mood inquisitive analytical Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - research planning - strategic decision making - personal growth Key Concepts epistemology question formulation cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - What unknown unknowns affect your life? - How can you uncover hidden questions? A Different Perspective Too many questions can overwhelm focus. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Humour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humour/) [Questions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questions/) [Unknowns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unknowns/) ## Related quotes > [When you start talking about the known knowns and the unknown unknowns, you're thrown into a crazy meta-level discussion. Do I know what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/when-you-start-talking-about-the-known-knowns-and-the-unknown/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [“Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/reports-that-say-that-something-hasn-t-happened-are-always/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [There are known knowns and known unknowns, but what we should be worried about most is the unknown unknowns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-marcus/there-are-known-knowns-and-known-unknowns-but-what-we-should-be/) [Gary Marcus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-marcus/) > [“there are things we know (‘known facts’), there are things we do not know (‘known unknowns’) and there are things that we do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rolf-dobelli/there-are-things-we-know-known-facts-there-are-things-we-do-not-know/) [Rolf Dobelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rolf-dobelli/) > [There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-known-knowns-there-are-things-we-know-we-know-we-also-know/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There are things we know we know. . . . We know there are some things we do not know. But there are also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-j-wangsness/there-are-things-we-know-we-know-we-know-there-are-some-things-we-do/) Steven J. Wangsness > [There's always the risk that there are unknown unknowns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-silver/there-s-always-the-risk-that-there-are-unknown-unknowns/) [Nate Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-silver/) > [There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/there-are-known-knowns-these-are-things-we-know-that-we-know-there/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [Each time that you ask me something that I already answered, I don't know what to think. I dont know if you just want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/didi/each-time-that-you-ask-me-something-that-i-already-answered-i-don-t/) DiDi > [“Why don't I kill myself? If I knew exactly what keeps me from doing so, I should have no more questions to ask myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-cioran/why-don-t-i-kill-myself-if-i-knew-exactly-what-keeps-me-from-doing-so/) [Emil Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-cioran/) > [“And for once, Donald Rumsfeld, in the news at the time over the Iraq war made sense to me: "As we know," he said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-mee/and-for-once-donald-rumsfeld-in-the-news-at-the-time-over-the-iraq/) Benjamin Mee > [As known unknowns become known; unknown unknowns proliferate; the larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of wonder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/as-known-unknowns-become-known-unknown-unknowns-proliferate-the/) [Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/) > [“Since September, I sat one seat behind Anna in algebra. Passed papers to her every day. Studied for tons of tests together. Though it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-fields/since-september-i-sat-one-seat-behind-anna-in-algebra-passed-papers/) [Terri Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-fields/) > [“Life involves a lot of unknowns.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-l-wallace/life-involves-a-lot-of-unknowns/) [S.L. Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-l-wallace/) > [I was interested in big unknowns, and the brain is one of the biggest, so building tools that allow us to regard the brain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-boyden/i-was-interested-in-big-unknowns-and-the-brain-is-one-of-the-biggest/) [Edward Boyden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-boyden/) ## More by Mark Forsyth > [“Every dictionary contains a world. I open a book of thieves’ slang from Queen Anne’s reign and they have a hundred words for swords,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-forsyth/every-dictionary-contains-a-world-i-open-a-book-of-thieves-slang-from/) [Mark Forsyth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-forsyth/) > [“Pot itself has nothing to do with pots and pans, but comes from the Mexican-Spanish word potiguaya, which means marijuana leaves. And marijuana is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-forsyth/pot-itself-has-nothing-to-do-with-pots-and-pans-but-comes-from-the/) [Mark Forsyth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-forsyth/) > [“I had to go outside. I had to let the element of chance in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-forsyth/i-had-to-go-outside-i-had-to-let-the-element-of-chance-in/) [Mark Forsyth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-forsyth/) > [Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it was the sausage-maker who disposed of the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-forsyth/curiosity-may-have-killed-the-cat-but-it-was-the-sausage-maker-who/) [Mark Forsyth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-forsyth/) > [Poetry is much more important than the truth, and, if you don't believe that, try using the two methods to get laid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-forsyth/poetry-is-much-more-important-than-the-truth-and-if-you-don-t-believe/) [Mark Forsyth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-forsyth/) > [ “Wouldst like to con a glimmer with me this early black?’, which he \[Cab Calloway\] helpfully explains as ‘the proper way to ask a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-forsyth/wouldst-like-to-con-a-glimmer-with-me-this-early-black-which-he-cab/) [Mark Forsyth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-forsyth/) > [“Love is nothing because those who do something for the love of it do it for nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-forsyth/love-is-nothing-because-those-who-do-something-for-the-love-of-it-do/) [Mark Forsyth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-forsyth/) > [“Wamblecropt is the most exquisite word in the English language. Say it. Each syllable is intolerably beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-forsyth/wamblecropt-is-the-most-exquisite-word-in-the-english-language-say-it/) [Mark Forsyth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-forsyth/) > [“Shakespeare was not a genius. He was, without the distant shadow of a doubt, the most wonderful writer who ever breathed. But not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-forsyth/shakespeare-was-not-a-genius-he-was-without-the-distant-shadow-of-a/) [Mark Forsyth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-forsyth/) > [“There's always a strange feeling you get when you come across one particular line by chance. It feels somehow significant. That's irrational of course,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-forsyth/there-s-always-a-strange-feeling-you-get-when-you-come-across-one/) [Mark Forsyth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-forsyth/) > [“Oxygen was called flammable air for a while, but it didn't catch on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-forsyth/oxygen-was-called-flammable-air-for-a-while-but-it-didn-t-catch-on/) [Mark Forsyth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-forsyth/) > [But Shakespeare never drank coffee. Nor did Julius Caesar, or Socrates. Alexander the Great conquered half the world without even a café latte to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-forsyth/but-shakespeare-never-drank-coffee-nor-did-julius-caesar-or-socrates/) [Mark Forsyth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-forsyth/) > [If you are to use Alexander Graham Bell’s product, which is to say the blower, you should, in all courtesy, use it as he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-forsyth/if-you-are-to-use-alexander-graham-bell-s-product-which-is-to-say-the/) [Mark Forsyth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-forsyth/) > [“It is, incidentally, a favour that e-books have done for the Good Bookshop: they have made books beautiful again. A few years ago, book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-forsyth/it-is-incidentally-a-favour-that-e-books-have-done-for-the-good/) [Mark Forsyth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-forsyth/) > [So familiar are eggs to us, however, that in the eighteenth century they were referred to as cackling farts, on the basis that chickens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-forsyth/so-familiar-are-eggs-to-us-however-that-in-the-eighteenth-century/) [Mark Forsyth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-forsyth/) [Explore all 32 Mark Forsyth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-forsyth/) ## More Answer quotes > [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [What you are is a question only you can answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/what-you-are-is-a-question-only-you-can-answer/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [Enjoying life isn't about finding the answers, but living the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/enjoying-life-isn-t-about-finding-the-answers-but-living-the-questions/) [Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/) > [The boldness of asking deep questions may require unforeseen flexibility if we are to accept the answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/the-boldness-of-asking-deep-questions-may-require-unforeseen/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [“And if you can’t say yes, answer anyway. Because I’d rather live with the answer than die with the question.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-ellis/and-if-you-can-t-say-yes-answer-anyway-because-i-d-rather-live-with/) Jon Ellis > [“There is a cure and answer to everything, we just haven't found them yet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-halimi/there-is-a-cure-and-answer-to-everything-we-just-haven-t-found-them/) [Eve Halimi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-halimi/) > [Whenever I'm asked about Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, I always answer: 'Neymar is the best,' not just because of his goals but because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-carlos/whenever-i-m-asked-about-cristiano-ronaldo-or-lionel-messi-i-always/) [Roberto Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-carlos/) > [A wiki works best where you're trying to answer a question that you can't easily pose, where there's not a natural structure that's known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ward-cunningham/a-wiki-works-best-where-you-re-trying-to-answer-a-question-that-you/) [Ward Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ward-cunningham/) > [“Those are good questions. I recognize good questions, because I can come up with them myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-brust/those-are-good-questions-i-recognize-good-questions-because-i-can/) [Steven Brust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-brust/) > [My answer is bring 'em on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/my-answer-is-bring-em-on/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I'll answer anything... I'm brutally honest, actually, which gets me in trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-mclachlan/i-ll-answer-anything-i-m-brutally-honest-actually-which-gets-me-in/) [Sarah McLachlan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-mclachlan/) > [“...I guess I can put two and two together." 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But I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paddy-mcguinness/i-play-along-myself-even-though-i-can-t-help-the-player-so-i-can-t/) [Paddy McGuinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paddy-mcguinness/) > [Sometimes the question is complicated, but the answers are simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-suess/sometimes-the-question-is-complicated-but-the-answers-are-simple/) [Dr Suess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-suess/) Browse all 2,090 Answer quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The glamour's off. Almost any question you ask can be answered. It's only the questions that you didn't know to ask that remain, dancing the can-can behind your back. 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