--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What gets us into trouble is not what we…" description: "\"“What gets us into trouble is not what we don't know. It's what we know for sure that just ain't so.”\" — Mark Twain" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73e/mark-twain-22_know_what-gets-us-into-trouble-is-not-what-we_2364560.png" --- # What gets us into trouble is not what we don't know. It's… ![“What gets us into trouble is not what we don't know. It's what we know for sure that just ain't so.” quote by Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73e/mark-twain-22_know_what-gets-us-into-trouble-is-not-what-we_2364560.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73e/mark-twain-22_know_what-gets-us-into-trouble-is-not-what-we_2364560.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73e/mark-twain-22_know_what-gets-us-into-trouble-is-not-what-we_2364560.png) > ““What gets us into trouble is not what we don't know. It's what we know for sure that just ain't so.”” [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Assuming certainty about false facts leads to error; doubt is essential. **In simple terms:** Being sure of wrong things is dangerous. Key Takeaway Question your assumptions. Themes knowledge certainty critical thinking Mood skeptical inquisitive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - scientific research - decision making - media consumption - education Key Concepts epistemology bias logic Questions to Reflect On - What do you accept without proof? - How can you test your convictions? A Different Perspective Some truths are unknowable, so doubt can be paralyzing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-lessons/) ## Related quotes > [Pride always gets you in trouble, sometimes because you don't have enough, and sometimes because you have too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/pride-always-gets-you-in-trouble-sometimes-because-you-don-t-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's amazing how much trouble you can get in when you don't have anything else to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quincy-jones/it-s-amazing-how-much-trouble-you-can-get-in-when-you-don-t-have/) [Quincy Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quincy-jones/) > [It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/it-ain-t-what-you-don-t-know-that-gets-you-into-trouble-it-s-what-you/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Temper is what gets most of us into trouble. Pride is what keeps us there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/temper-is-what-gets-most-of-us-into-trouble-pride-is-what-keeps-us/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Your stupidity is what gets you in trouble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jana-jones/your-stupidity-is-what-gets-you-in-trouble/) [Jana Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jana-jones/) > [Anyone who thinks they have a monopoly on truth, and there is only one way to see the world, always gets us into trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anyone-who-thinks-they-have-a-monopoly-on-truth-and-there-is-only-one/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Really? What did you cost me again? I ask. A lot of trouble. Don't worry. You'll get it all back,he says.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/really-what-did-you-cost-me-again-i-ask-a-lot-of-trouble-don-t-worry/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [When a friend is in trouble, don't annoy him by asking if there is anything you can do. Think up something appropriate and do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-a-friend-is-in-trouble-don-t-annoy-him-by-asking-if-there-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The trouble you don’t get into, you don’t have to get out of!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-c-holinger/the-trouble-you-don-t-get-into-you-don-t-have-to-get-out-of/) Paul C. Holinger > [The trouble is, if you don't risk anything, you risk even more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/the-trouble-is-if-you-don-t-risk-anything-you-risk-even-more/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [If a friend is in trouble, don't annoy him by asking if there is anything you can do. 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Laughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-laughlin/) ## More by Mark Twain > [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/) > [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/) > [“The Creator sat upon the throne, thinking. 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I've done it hundreds of times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/it-s-easy-to-quit-smoking-i-ve-done-it-hundreds-of-times/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“It is never wrong to do the right thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/it-is-never-wrong-to-do-the-right-thing/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [A man accustomed to American food and American domestic cookery would not starve to death suddenly in Europe, but I think he would gradually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-man-accustomed-to-american-food-and-american-domestic-cookery-would/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [There is nothing training can't cannot do. Nothing is above its reach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/there-is-nothing-training-can-t-cannot-do-nothing-is-above-its-reach/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [I never write Metropolis for seven cents because I can get the same price for city. I never write policeman because I can get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-never-write-metropolis-for-seven-cents-because-i-can-get-the-same/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [The higher animals get their teeth without pain or inconvenience. 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That matters more than he'd ever thought it would.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/to-know-someone-to-be-known-that-matters-more-than-he-d-ever-thought/) [Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [If we will not interfere with our thought, but will act entirely, or see how the thing stands in God, we know the particular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-we-will-not-interfere-with-our-thought-but-will-act-entirely-or/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [Don't get too attached to someone you know you can't be together with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/don-t-get-too-attached-to-someone-you-know-you-can-t-be-together-with/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [I know what you're thinking... and you oughtta be ashamed of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-preston/i-know-what-you-re-thinking-and-you-oughtta-be-ashamed-of-yourself/) Robert Preston > [I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) > [You will never know just how beautiful you are to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-never-know-just-how-beautiful-you-are-to-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I know how hard it is to be a woman, especially a black woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/i-know-how-hard-it-is-to-be-a-woman-especially-a-black-woman/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [“Take your time to find and understand what you don’t know and in the end, you shall know that it is not all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/take-your-time-to-find-and-understand-what-you-don-t-know-and-in-the/) [Ernest Agyemang Yeboah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) Browse all 22,299 Know quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What gets us into trouble is not what we don't know. 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