--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We tend to treat our knowledge as…" description: "\"We tend to treat our knowledge as personal property to be protected and defended. It is an ornament that allows us to rise in the pecking order...we ta..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e74/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_knowledge_we-tend-to-treat-our-knowledge-as-person_2821844.png" --- # We tend to treat our knowledge as personal property to be… ![“We tend to treat our knowledge as personal property to be protected and defended. It is an ornament that allows us to rise in the pecking order...we take what we know a little too seriously.” quote by Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e74/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_knowledge_we-tend-to-treat-our-knowledge-as-person_2821844.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e74/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_knowledge_we-tend-to-treat-our-knowledge-as-person_2821844.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e74/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_knowledge_we-tend-to-treat-our-knowledge-as-person_2821844.png) > “We tend to treat our knowledge as personal property to be protected and defended. It is an ornament that allows us to rise in the pecking order...we take what we know a little too seriously.” [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Treating knowledge as a guarded asset can create elitism and hinder collective progress. **In simple terms:** Guarding knowledge creates elitism. Key Takeaway Share knowledge openly to foster collaboration. Themes knowledge elitism collaboration humility Mood critical analytical thoughtful Type philosophical social inspirational When to use this quote - academic research - team projects - public policy - education reform Key Concepts economics philosophy social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How does protecting knowledge affect innovation? - What balance exists between openness and expertise? A Different Perspective Sharing can lead to misuse of information. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Knowledge Personal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge-personal-2138422/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Ornaments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ornaments/) [Pecking order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pecking-order/) [Property](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/property/) [Protected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protected/) [Protected Defended](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protected-defended-1117523/) [Treat Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treat-knowledge-3595914/) [Treats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treats/) ## Related quotes > [Has our nation preserved, protected and defended the Constitution of the United States?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-farris/has-our-nation-preserved-protected-and-defended-the-constitution-of/) [Michael Farris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-farris/) > [“The Lord commands us to learn and discover all we can in this life. There's nothing wrong with wanting to know the mysteries of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-heimerdinger/the-lord-commands-us-to-learn-and-discover-all-we-can-in-this-life-2/) [Chris Heimerdinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-heimerdinger/) > [“Wisdom is not acquired by reading. Wisdom is what results when you incorporate this knowledge into your personal experience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lawless/wisdom-is-not-acquired-by-reading-wisdom-is-what-results-when-you/) [Jim Lawless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-lawless/) > [“Knowledge was a personal life preserver you could always count on when you were swimming in the deep end”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/knowledge-was-a-personal-life-preserver-you-could-always-count-on/) [Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/) > [Love, Ideas 'n knowledge are no one's Personal Property. They belong to a person who expresses them in the Best Way!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/love-ideas-n-knowledge-are-no-one-s-personal-property-they-belong-to/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“Missing a train is only painful if you run after it! Likewise, not matching the idea of success others expect from you is only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/missing-a-train-is-only-painful-if-you-run-after-it-likewise-not/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“I don’t run for trains.” Snub your destiny. I have taught myself to resist running to keep on schedule. This may seem a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/i-don-t-run-for-trains-snub-your-destiny-i-have-taught-myself-to/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“You stand above the rat race and the pecking order, not outside of it, if you do so by choice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/you-stand-above-the-rat-race-and-the-pecking-order-not-outside-of-it/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [The weak shows his strength and hides his weaknesses; the magnificent exhibits his weaknesses like ornaments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/the-weak-shows-his-strength-and-hides-his-weaknesses-the-magnificent/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“The soldier was like that. He was an expert in getting other people to do what he wanted. The only creature that could make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-wynne-jones/the-soldier-was-like-that-he-was-an-expert-in-getting-other-people-to/) [Diana Wynne Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-wynne-jones/) > [Not everyone gets a reservation in the hot restaurant. You must pay your dues. Like it or not there is a pecking order.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonja-morgan/not-everyone-gets-a-reservation-in-the-hot-restaurant-you-must-pay/) [Sonja Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonja-morgan/) > [“In fact, we owe the expression “pecking order” to studies of the social relations among chickens by the Norwegian zoologist Thorleif Schjelderup-Ebbe, who found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-ackerman/in-fact-we-owe-the-expression-pecking-order-to-studies-of-the-social/) [Jennifer Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-ackerman/) > [“Most people measure themselves against someone or something and then fight their inner doubts to believe they, too, have what it takes to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-bauman/most-people-measure-themselves-against-someone-or-something-and-then/) [Stephan Bauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-bauman/) > [“If we are not apt to steer our life and engineer our individuality, we become preys of the pecking order or panting cardboard characters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/if-we-are-not-apt-to-steer-our-life-and-engineer-our-individuality-we/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [When God put everybody here, I don't think that he had a master plan of a pecking order. That's not what you see in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-feldman/when-god-put-everybody-here-i-don-t-think-that-he-had-a-master-plan/) [Corey Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-feldman/) ## More by Nassim Nicholas Taleb > [To become a philosopher, start by walking very slowly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/to-become-a-philosopher-start-by-walking-very-slowly/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [Wittgenstein's ruler: Unless you have confidence in the ruler's reliability, if you use a ruler to measure a table you may also be using…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/wittgenstein-s-ruler-unless-you-have-confidence-in-the-ruler-s/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [In politics we face the choice between warmongering, nation-state loving, big-business agents on one hand; and risk-blind, top-down, epistemic arrogant big servants of large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/in-politics-we-face-the-choice-between-warmongering-nation-state/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [My nightmare scenario is that the government saves Citibank once again, as well as the other banks, and business resumes as usual. 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Does it mean that the work involved in the trip…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/one-needs-to-go-out-and-buy-a-lottery-ticket-in-order-to-win-does-it/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [Individuals should think about the worst-case scenarios and plan for them. The world will be crazier than you think it will be. Put money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/individuals-should-think-about-the-worst-case-scenarios-and-plan-for/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“If you are looking for your misplaced wallet in your living room, in a trial and error mode, you exercise rationality by not looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/if-you-are-looking-for-your-misplaced-wallet-in-your-living-room-in-a/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“Most humans manage to squander their free time, as free time makes them dysfunctional, lazy, and unmotivated—the busier they get, the more active they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/most-humans-manage-to-squander-their-free-time-as-free-time-makes/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [We learn the most from fools ... yet we pay them back with the worst ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/we-learn-the-most-from-fools-yet-we-pay-them-back-with-the-worst/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [We are victims of the post-Enlightenment view that the world functions like a sophisticated machine, to be understood like a textbook engineering problem and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/we-are-victims-of-the-post-enlightenment-view-that-the-world/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“loss of bone density and degradation of the health of the bones also causes aging, diabetes, and, for males, loss of fertility and sexual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/loss-of-bone-density-and-degradation-of-the-health-of-the-bones-also/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“It takes a huge investment in introspection to learn that the thirty or more hours spent “studying” the news last month neither had any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/it-takes-a-huge-investment-in-introspection-to-learn-that-the-thirty/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) [Explore all 635 Nassim Nicholas Taleb quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) ## More Knowledge quotes > [“Knowledge without conscience is but the ruin of the soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabelaise/knowledge-without-conscience-is-but-the-ruin-of-the-soul/) [Rabelaise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabelaise/) > [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/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [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/) > [An enlightened awareness is within each one of us, right at this moment. This enlightened awareness is truly unborn and marvellously illuminating; and everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bankei-yotaku/an-enlightened-awareness-is-within-each-one-of-us-right-at-this/) [Bankei Yotaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bankei-yotaku/) > [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/) > [“I never knew any man who had once tasted the sweetness of experimental knowledge, that ever afterward fasted after ye Vapour garlick and onions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-zimmer/i-never-knew-any-man-who-had-once-tasted-the-sweetness-of/) [Carl Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-zimmer/) > [I would rather excel others in the knowledge of what is excellent than in the extent of my powers and dominion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/i-would-rather-excel-others-in-the-knowledge-of-what-is-excellent/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [We know accurately only when we know little, with knowledge doubt increases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/we-know-accurately-only-when-we-know-little-with-knowledge-doubt/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I've always been a believer in research. It's great to have an instinctual human reaction to a character, too, of course, but it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/i-ve-always-been-a-believer-in-research-it-s-great-to-have-an/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [I am an aware citizen, so I want my characters to be aware, too. They should be aware of what's happening in the society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pankaj-tripathi/i-am-an-aware-citizen-so-i-want-my-characters-to-be-aware-too-they/) [Pankaj Tripathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pankaj-tripathi/) > [Technology means the systematic application of scientific or other organized knowledge to practical tasks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/technology-means-the-systematic-application-of-scientific-or-other/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [Love is a vision,love carry our vision,and love by-step our vision. we carry our love to our by-step. once love is vision love is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-a-vision-love-carry-our-vision-and-love-by-step-our-vision-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Man is an ignoramus athirst for knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-wagner/man-is-an-ignoramus-athirst-for-knowledge/) [Charles Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-wagner/) [Browse all 13,227 Knowledge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We tend to treat our knowledge as personal property to be protected and defended. 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