---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Western arrogance of feeling that it has…"
description: "\"“Western arrogance of feeling that it has everything to teach others and nothing to learn from them is not just.”\" — Martin Luther King Jr"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18a/martin-luther-king-jr-2-1523_pride_western-arrogance-of-feeling-that-it-has_1967310.jpg"
---

#  Western arrogance of feeling that it has everything to…

![“Western arrogance of feeling that it has everything to teach others and nothing to learn from them is not just.” quote by Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18a/martin-luther-king-jr-2-1523_pride_western-arrogance-of-feeling-that-it-has_1967310.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18a/martin-luther-king-jr-2-1523_pride_western-arrogance-of-feeling-that-it-has_1967310.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18a/martin-luther-king-jr-2-1523_pride_western-arrogance-of-feeling-that-it-has_1967310.jpg)

> ““Western arrogance of feeling that it has everything to teach others and nothing to learn from them is not just.””

[Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Arrogance that assumes one culture has all knowledge and nothing to learn is unjust and harmful.

**In simple terms:** Thinking you know everything and learn nothing is wrong.

Key Takeaway

Embrace humility and learning.

Themes

cultural humility learning justice

Mood

reflective challenging

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- education reform
- international cooperation
- personal growth

Key Concepts

social ethics cross‑cultural dialogue

Questions to Reflect On

- What assumptions limit your learning?
- How can you foster mutual respect?

A Different Perspective

Overconfidence can hinder collaboration.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Arrogance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrogance/) [Pride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pride/)

## Related quotes

> [I was against impunity when it comes to human rights violations. But many of us African leaders now want to leave the Rome Statute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoweri-museveni/i-was-against-impunity-when-it-comes-to-human-rights-violations-but/)

[Yoweri Museveni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoweri-museveni/)

> [The history of colonialism is long and bloody. And it continues today, in the shape of Western arrogance vis-à-vis everyone else. "Us against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdul-sattar-abu-risha/the-history-of-colonialism-is-long-and-bloody-and-it-continues-today/)

[Abdul Sattar Abu Risha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdul-sattar-abu-risha/)

> [A true revolution of values will see that the western arrogance of feeling that it has everything to teach others and nothing to learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/a-true-revolution-of-values-will-see-that-the-western-arrogance-of/)

[Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/)

> [“What can this feeling teach me? What is it trying to show me?” My feeling of being off track was an awakening to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-kaiser/what-can-this-feeling-teach-me-what-is-it-trying-to-show-me-my/)

[Shannon Kaiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-kaiser/)

> [If you learn you can teach; if you teach you will learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/if-you-learn-you-can-teach-if-you-teach-you-will-learn/)

[Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/)

> [I am a student of whoever I can learn from. I don't see myself in position like I'm above anybody else and I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashad-evans/i-am-a-student-of-whoever-i-can-learn-from-i-don-t-see-myself-in/)

[Rashad Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashad-evans/)

> [People don't understand that, when I was at WCW, if I wasn't wrestling that night, I was down at the Power Plant teaching. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diamond-dallas-page/people-don-t-understand-that-when-i-was-at-wcw-if-i-wasn-t-wrestling/)

[Diamond Dallas Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diamond-dallas-page/)

> [Don't hope that someone come and teach you something. You have to learn Every thing by your self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dhaval/don-t-hope-that-someone-come-and-teach-you-something-you-have-to/)

[Dhaval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dhaval/)

> [I spent all my time at school in the library. Bad teachers can teach you to learn on your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/i-spent-all-my-time-at-school-in-the-library-bad-teachers-can-teach/)

[Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/)

> [When you teach, you learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-suzman/when-you-teach-you-learn/)

[Helen Suzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-suzman/)

> [While we teach, we learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/while-we-teach-we-learn/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Teach, learn, listen or get the hell out of the way if you teach try to instill your students to set goals to surpass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/teach-learn-listen-or-get-the-hell-out-of-the-way-if-you-teach-try-to/)

[Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/)

> [In every human society of which we have any record, there are those who teach and those who learn, for learning a way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/in-every-human-society-of-which-we-have-any-record-there-are-those/)

[Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/)

> [As you teach, you learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jewish-proverb/as-you-teach-you-learn/)

Jewish Proverb

> [We in universities are not in the democracy business. What we do, when we're doing it, is teach and learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-fish/we-in-universities-are-not-in-the-democracy-business-what-we-do-when/)

[Stanley Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-fish/)

## More by Martin Luther King Jr

> [We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/we-have-learned-to-fly-the-air-like-birds-and-swim-the-sea-like-fish/)

[Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/)

> [I had a dreamthat you would just shut the fuck up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/i-had-a-dreamthat-you-would-just-shut-the-fuck-up/)

[Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/)

> [Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice; say that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/yes-if-you-want-to-say-that-i-was-a-drum-major-say-that-i-was-a-drum/)

[Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/)

> [“We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/we-must-forever-conduct-our-struggle-on-the-high-plane-of-dignity-and/)

[Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/)

> [“It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/it-may-be-true-that-the-law-cannot-make-a-man-love-me-but-it-can-stop/)

[Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/)

> [“Privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/privileged-groups-seldom-give-up-their-privileges-voluntarily/)

[Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/)

> [God has set the type of marriage everywhere throughout the creation. Every creature seeks its perfection in another. The very heavens and earth picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/god-has-set-the-type-of-marriage-everywhere-throughout-the-creation/)

[Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/)

> [A nation that continues to produce soft-minded men purchases its own spiritual death on the installment plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/a-nation-that-continues-to-produce-soft-minded-men-purchases-its-own/)

[Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/)

> [“It is not enough to say, 'We must not wage war.' It is necessary to love peace and sacrifice for it. We must concentrate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/it-is-not-enough-to-say-we-must-not-wage-war-it-is-necessary-to-love/)

[Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/)

> [“When, for decades, you have been able to make a man compromise his manhood by threatening him with a cruel and unjust punishment, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/when-for-decades-you-have-been-able-to-make-a-man-compromise-his/)

[Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/)

> [The question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/the-question-is-not-whether-we-will-be-extremists-but-what-kind-of/)

[Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/)

> [“Deep in our history of struggle for freedom, Canada was the North star”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/deep-in-our-history-of-struggle-for-freedom-canada-was-the-north-star/)

[Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/)

> [“And he's allowed me to go to the mountain. And I've looked over, and I've seen the promised land! I may not get there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/and-he-s-allowed-me-to-go-to-the-mountain-and-i-ve-looked-over-and-i/)

[Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/)

> [“We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/we-know-through-painful-experience-that-freedom-is-never-voluntarily/)

[Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/)

> [“Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/returning-hate-for-hate-multiplies-hate-adding-deeper-darkness-to-a/)

[Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/)

[Explore all 219 Martin Luther King Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/)

## More Arrogance quotes

> [Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this \[step by step, from humans to apes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us-with-so-extraordinary-a/)

[Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/)

> [wishes for sons by Lucille Clifton i wish them cramps. i wish them a strange town and the last tampon. I wish them no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-clifton/wishes-for-sons-by-lucille-clifton-i-wish-them-cramps-i-wish-them-a/)

[Lucille Clifton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-clifton/)

> [The structure of the Swiss ruling class is rock-hard, and unchanged since the time of Napoleon. They sit on their mountains and lecture the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-ziegler/the-structure-of-the-swiss-ruling-class-is-rock-hard-and-unchanged/)

[Jean Ziegler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-ziegler/)

> [What you see of me on TV and all of that, that is me - that's truly how I feel. I'm just multiplying it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-corbin/what-you-see-of-me-on-tv-and-all-of-that-that-is-me-that-s-truly-how/)

[Baron Corbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-corbin/)

> [I don't join the New Atheists. So, for example, I wouldn't have the arrogance to lecture some mother who hopes to see her dying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-join-the-new-atheists-so-for-example-i-wouldn-t-have-the/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [Never mistake someones quietness for their arrogance as you can surely miss out on an awsome personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-mistake-someones-quietness-for-their-arrogance-as-you-can/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness. All of these are elements of the sin, but the heart,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/most-of-us-think-of-pride-as-self-centeredness-conceit-boastfulness/)

[Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/)

> [“I was consumed by a selfishness and arrogance that I didn't dare let go of until I found a new persona to hide behind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/i-was-consumed-by-a-selfishness-and-arrogance-that-i-didn-t-dare-let/)

[Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/)

> [Arrogance is the outgrowth of prosperity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plautus/arrogance-is-the-outgrowth-of-prosperity/)

[Plautus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plautus/)

> [Timing and arrogance are decisive factors in the successful use of talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marya-mannes/timing-and-arrogance-are-decisive-factors-in-the-successful-use-of/)

[Marya Mannes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marya-mannes/)

> [Some say work smarter, not harder, but the wisest are both. Whether you're more of a hard worker or a smart worker, if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-tatem/some-say-work-smarter-not-harder-but-the-wisest-are-both-whether-you/)

[Colby Tatem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-tatem/)

> [Closed some doors, not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simply because they no longer lead somewhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frenz-jeffrey/closed-some-doors-not-because-of-pride-incapacity-or-arrogance-but/)

[Frenz Jeffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frenz-jeffrey/)

> [My success isn't a result of arrogance - it's a result of belief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-mcgregor/my-success-isn-t-a-result-of-arrogance-it-s-a-result-of-belief/)

[Conor McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-mcgregor/)

> [“...a great man who is vicious will only be a great doer of evil, and a rich man who is not liberal will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-cervantes/a-great-man-who-is-vicious-will-only-be-a-great-doer-of-evil-and-a/)

Miguel Cervantes

> [An increasing number of people are growing uncomfortable with the gulf between the world's rich and the poor. Ostentatiously splashing your money around simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kalle-lasn/an-increasing-number-of-people-are-growing-uncomfortable-with-the/)

[Kalle Lasn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kalle-lasn/)

[Browse all 1,418 Arrogance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrogance/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Western arrogance of feeling that it has everything to teach others and nothing to learn from them is not just.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Martin Luther King Jr"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/western-arrogance-of-feeling-that-it-has-everything-to-teach-others/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Arrogance"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/western-arrogance-of-feeling-that-it-has-everything-to-teach-others/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18a/martin-luther-king-jr-2-1523_pride_western-arrogance-of-feeling-that-it-has_1967310.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18a/martin-luther-king-jr-2-1523_pride_western-arrogance-of-feeling-that-it-has_1967310.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18a/martin-luther-king-jr-2-1523_pride_western-arrogance-of-feeling-that-it-has_1967310.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Western arrogance of feeling that it has everything to teach others and nothing to learn from them is not…” — Martin Luther King Jr",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Martin Luther King Jr",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Western arrogance of feeling that it...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/western-arrogance-of-feeling-that-it-has-everything-to-teach-others/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/western-arrogance-of-feeling-that-it-has-everything-to-teach-others/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
