---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Someone once said that education was…"
description: "\"“Someone once said that education was knowing what to do when you don’t know,”\" — Michael Lewis"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/228/michael-lewis-705_education_someone-once-said-that-education-was-kno_1383172.png"
---

#  Someone once said that education was knowing what to do…

![“Someone once said that education was knowing what to do when you don’t know,” quote by Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/228/michael-lewis-705_education_someone-once-said-that-education-was-kno_1383172.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/228/michael-lewis-705_education_someone-once-said-that-education-was-kno_1383172.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/228/michael-lewis-705_education_someone-once-said-that-education-was-kno_1383172.png)

> ““Someone once said that education was knowing what to do when you don’t know,””

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

## About This Quote

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

Education is the ability to act wisely amid uncertainty.

**In simple terms:** Education means knowing what to do when unsure.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate adaptive decision‑making.

Themes

learning uncertainty decision‑making

Mood

analytical inspirational

Type

philosophical practical

When to use this quote

- career pivots
- crisis response
- everyday problem solving

Key Concepts

cognitive science education theory

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you improve decision skills?
- What resources aid adaptive learning?

A Different Perspective

Uncertainty can paralyze without proper training.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/)

## Related quotes

> [A wise man once said: 'Education is the most powerful weapon to change the world.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-wise-man-once-said-education-is-the-most-powerful-weapon-to-change/)

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

> [ \[on education\] It's knowing where to go to find out what you need to know, and it's knowing how to use the information once… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/on-education-it-s-knowing-where-to-go-to-find-out-what-you-need-to/)

[William Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/)

> [Learning comes from education, while knowing comes from revelation. Learning is cognitive, while knowing is spiritual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myles-munroe/learning-comes-from-education-while-knowing-comes-from-revelation/)

[Myles Munroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myles-munroe/)

> [Insatiable curiosity is infectious to everyone around you. We live in an era today where we can get the answers for everything. In my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sculley/insatiable-curiosity-is-infectious-to-everyone-around-you-we-live-in/)

[John Sculley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sculley/)

> [The two basic processes of education are knowing and valuing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-havighurst/the-two-basic-processes-of-education-are-knowing-and-valuing/)

[Robert J. Havighurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-havighurst/)

> [I don't know if I trust entertainment to teach anyone anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/i-don-t-know-if-i-trust-entertainment-to-teach-anyone-anything/)

[John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/)

> [I know how to set an irrigation tube, and I helped with the harvest. I learned the law of the harvest without even knowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-l-dew/i-know-how-to-set-an-irrigation-tube-and-i-helped-with-the-harvest-i/)

[Sheri L. Dew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-l-dew/)

> [“I truly don’t know what will happen in my life, and I don’t need to know. My life will unfold the way it needs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-o-malley/i-truly-don-t-know-what-will-happen-in-my-life-and-i-don-t-need-to/)

[Mary O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-o-malley/)

> [I don't know anybody that doesn't own a gun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-manchin/i-don-t-know-anybody-that-doesn-t-own-a-gun/)

[Joe Manchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-manchin/)

> [“Good Lord, Jeeves! Is there anything you don’t know?’ ‘I couldn’t say, sir.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/good-lord-jeeves-is-there-anything-you-don-t-know-i-couldn-t-say-sir/)

[P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/)

> [I don't know what people think of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/post-malone/i-don-t-know-what-people-think-of-me/)

[Post Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/post-malone/)

> [I don't know how to carry a tune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-de-lancie/i-don-t-know-how-to-carry-a-tune/)

[John de Lancie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-de-lancie/)

> [I don't know anything about Amazon's culture; I've never worked there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-conrad/i-don-t-know-anything-about-amazon-s-culture-i-ve-never-worked-there/)

[Parker Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-conrad/)

> [I think there's a lot of power in admitting that you don't know everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kit-williamson/i-think-there-s-a-lot-of-power-in-admitting-that-you-don-t-know/)

[Kit Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kit-williamson/)

> [I don't know where 12 months has gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-appleby/i-don-t-know-where-12-months-has-gone/)

[Stuart Appleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-appleby/)

## More by Michael Lewis

> [“Crucial decisions are made, today as thousands of years ago, in terms of the intuitive guesses and preferences of a few men in positions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/crucial-decisions-are-made-today-as-thousands-of-years-ago-in-terms/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [“You saw someone who reminded you of you, and then you looked for the reasons why you liked him. The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/you-saw-someone-who-reminded-you-of-you-and-then-you-looked-for-the/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [“At other places management says, ‘Well, gee, fellas, do we really want to bet the ranch on this deal?’ Lewie was not only willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/at-other-places-management-says-well-gee-fellas-do-we-really-want-to/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [“BILLY WOULD SAY later that his wife left him because she was unnerved by his intensity—that she could even see it in his hands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/billy-would-say-later-that-his-wife-left-him-because-she-was-unnerved/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [“The great thing about baseball players, from the point of view of personal hygiene, is how seldom they break a sweat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/the-great-thing-about-baseball-players-from-the-point-of-view-of/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [There was but one question he left unasked, and it vibrated between his lines: if gross miscalculations of a person's value could occur on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/there-was-but-one-question-he-left-unasked-and-it-vibrated-between/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [“The author refers to a player's affected nonchalance and comments he is, "too young to realize you are what you pretend to be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/the-author-refers-to-a-player-s-affected-nonchalance-and-comments-he/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [A banking system is an act of faith: it survives only for as long as people believe it will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/a-banking-system-is-an-act-of-faith-it-survives-only-for-as-long-as/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [Some coaches believed they could judge a player's performance simply by watching it. In this they were deeply mistaken. The naked eye was an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/some-coaches-believed-they-could-judge-a-player-s-performance-simply/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [“No longer were the prices of ordinary mortgage bonds allowed to roam inefficiently, for they were now linked to the CMO market, in much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/no-longer-were-the-prices-of-ordinary-mortgage-bonds-allowed-to-roam/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [“The difference between Strauss and Ranieri?” says one trader still at Salomon. “That’s easy. Strauss wouldn’t stoop to use the men’s room on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/the-difference-between-strauss-and-ranieri-says-one-trader-still-at/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [“The only inexplicable aspect of the process was that economic theory (which is, after all, what economics students were supposed to know) served almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/the-only-inexplicable-aspect-of-the-process-was-that-economic-theory/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [“It's not easy to stand apart from mass hysteria - to believe that most of what's in the financial news is wrong, to believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/it-s-not-easy-to-stand-apart-from-mass-hysteria-to-believe-that-most/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [“Dont worry about where i am , i'll let you know when i get there .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/dont-worry-about-where-i-am-i-ll-let-you-know-when-i-get-there/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [“Someone out there was using the fact that stock market orders arrived at different times at different exchanges to front-run orders from one market…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/someone-out-there-was-using-the-fact-that-stock-market-orders-arrived/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

[Explore all 398 Michael Lewis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

## More Education quotes

> [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/)

Ted Martinez

> [“In school you are taught to obey and not to think straight for your own good. Otherwise the world would be full of millionaires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/in-school-you-are-taught-to-obey-and-not-to-think-straight-for-your/)

[Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/)

> [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/)

[Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/)

> [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/)

[Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/)

> [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [“What's the best thing about being in college? Good teachers. They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/)

[Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/)

> [“If one has not a head of steel it will burst; if he has not within it a brain of liquid quicksilver, he will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioannes-amos-commenius/if-one-has-not-a-head-of-steel-it-will-burst-if-he-has-not-within-it/)

Ioannes Amos Commenius

> [“let us not teach / what we have learned badly / and not profited by”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-hilda-doolittle/let-us-not-teach-what-we-have-learned-badly-and-not-profited-by/)

H.D. (Hilda Doolittle

> [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/)

[Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/)

> [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/)

[Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/)

> [“I only began to enjoy studying after I got through the educational system and became a so-called member of society. If something interested me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-only-began-to-enjoy-studying-after-i-got-through-the-educational/)

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

> [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/)

> [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/)

[Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/)

> [English teachers tend to put more thought in the books than the author did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/english-teachers-tend-to-put-more-thought-in-the-books-than-the/)

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

> [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/)

[Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/)

[Browse all 37,666 Education quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Someone once said that education was knowing what to do when you don’t know,”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Michael Lewis"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/someone-once-said-that-education-was-knowing-what-to-do-when-you-don/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Education"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/someone-once-said-that-education-was-knowing-what-to-do-when-you-don/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/228/michael-lewis-705_education_someone-once-said-that-education-was-kno_1383172.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/228/michael-lewis-705_education_someone-once-said-that-education-was-kno_1383172.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/228/michael-lewis-705_education_someone-once-said-that-education-was-kno_1383172.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Someone once said that education was knowing what to do when you don’t know,” — Michael Lewis",
                "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": "Michael Lewis",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Someone once said that education was...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/someone-once-said-that-education-was-knowing-what-to-do-when-you-don/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/someone-once-said-that-education-was-knowing-what-to-do-when-you-don/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
