--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I know that I do not know, and…" description: "\"“I know that I do not know, and uncertainty, certainly, is the cruelest of words.”\" — Oscar Auliq-Ice" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0af/oscar-auliq-ice-7668_certainty_i-know-that-i-do-not-know-and-uncertaint_2315890.jpg" --- # I know that I do not know, and uncertainty, certainly, is… ![“I know that I do not know, and uncertainty, certainly, is the cruelest of words.” quote by Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0af/oscar-auliq-ice-7668_certainty_i-know-that-i-do-not-know-and-uncertaint_2315890.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0af/oscar-auliq-ice-7668_certainty_i-know-that-i-do-not-know-and-uncertaint_2315890.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0af/oscar-auliq-ice-7668_certainty_i-know-that-i-do-not-know-and-uncertaint_2315890.jpg) > ““I know that I do not know, and uncertainty, certainly, is the cruelest of words.”” [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Admitting ignorance and uncertainty is painful but essential for growth and humility. **In simple terms:** Not knowing is painful yet vital. Key Takeaway Accept uncertainty, keep learning. Themes humility uncertainty knowledge growth wisdom Mood thoughtful serene Type reflective philosophical When to use this quote - education - research - leadership development Key Concepts philosophy epistemology self‑reflection Questions to Reflect On - How do you act amid uncertainty? - What practices reduce fear of the unknown? 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Uninvited guests may force you to take an unplanned trip to an unknown destination; doesn’t hurt to be in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-shourie/you-never-know-these-days-uninvited-guests-may-force-you-to-take-an/) [Anurag Shourie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-shourie/) > [“I think Kitaru is honestly seeking something,” I went on. “In his own way, at his own pace. It’s just that I don’t think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murakami-haruki/i-think-kitaru-is-honestly-seeking-something-i-went-on-in-his-own-way/) [Murakami Haruki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murakami-haruki/) > [“Trust the wait. Embrace the uncertainty. Enjoy the beauty of becoming. When nothing is certain, anything is possible”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-hale/trust-the-wait-embrace-the-uncertainty-enjoy-the-beauty-of-becoming/) [Mandy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-hale/) ## More by Oscar Auliq-Ice > [“Flattery looks like friendship, just like a wolf looks like a dog.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/flattery-looks-like-friendship-just-like-a-wolf-looks-like-a-dog/) [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) > [“Love is one of the strongest feelings one can ever have. It comes over you all of a sudden and totally absorbs before you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/love-is-one-of-the-strongest-feelings-one-can-ever-have-it-comes-over/) [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) > [“I’ve made many mistakes, but I’ve learned from them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/i-ve-made-many-mistakes-but-i-ve-learned-from-them/) [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) > [“Memories can be hard to forget and painful to remember that those who hate us now once loved us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/memories-can-be-hard-to-forget-and-painful-to-remember-that-those-who/) [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) > [Life is tragic for those who have plenty to live on and nothing to live for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/life-is-tragic-for-those-who-have-plenty-to-live-on-and-nothing-to/) [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) > [“Where there is a risk, there is a wealth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/where-there-is-a-risk-there-is-a-wealth/) [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) > [“Conspiracy theories tend to depend on conspirators who are unduly evil with genocide or world domination as a motive,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/conspiracy-theories-tend-to-depend-on-conspirators-who-are-unduly/) [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) > [Every day is a day you can be a better person than you were yesterday. So do something today that your future self will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/every-day-is-a-day-you-can-be-a-better-person-than-you-were-yesterday/) [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) > [“A man is a puppet in the hands of time and change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/a-man-is-a-puppet-in-the-hands-of-time-and-change/) [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) > [“To earn respect, you must earn your own self respect before you can expect others, to respect you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/to-earn-respect-you-must-earn-your-own-self-respect-before-you-can/) [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) > [“Wisdom is the best gift you can ever build. It gets you to unimagined heights and knowledge follows it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/wisdom-is-the-best-gift-you-can-ever-build-it-gets-you-to-unimagined/) [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) > [“Sometimes people really don’t have our best interests in mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/sometimes-people-really-don-t-have-our-best-interests-in-mind/) [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) > [“Learn from the past but use the present to create the future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/learn-from-the-past-but-use-the-present-to-create-the-future/) [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) > [If you allow people to make more withdrawals than deposits in your life, you will be out of balance and in the negative before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/if-you-allow-people-to-make-more-withdrawals-than-deposits-in-your/) [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) > [“It's better to do something with quality, no matter how long it takes you rather than do something mediocre, with constant quantity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/it-s-better-to-do-something-with-quality-no-matter-how-long-it-takes/) [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) [Explore all 88 Oscar Auliq-Ice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) ## More Certainty quotes > [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/) [Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/) > [Sometimes we have the absolute certainty there's something inside us that's so hideous and monstrous that if we ever search it out we won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/sometimes-we-have-the-absolute-certainty-there-s-something-inside-us/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [The past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-past-and-the-future-become-unimportant-there-is-only-that-moment/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [In the mental disturbance and effort of writing, what sustains you is the certainty that on every page there is something left unsaid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesare-pavese/in-the-mental-disturbance-and-effort-of-writing-what-sustains-you-is/) [Cesare Pavese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesare-pavese/) > [Of course I doubt. I do not practice a certainty. I practice a faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/of-course-i-doubt-i-do-not-practice-a-certainty-i-practice-a-faith/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [The world is a wonderfully weird place, consensual reality is significantly flawed, no institution can be trusted, certainty is a mirage, security a delusion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-world-is-a-wonderfully-weird-place-consensual-reality-is/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [As a businessman, I know that businesses need certainty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-foster/as-a-businessman-i-know-that-businesses-need-certainty/) [Bill Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-foster/) > [It is suggested that in domestic violence at least the presence or absence of a firearm, or of any other type of weapon, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-greenwood/it-is-suggested-that-in-domestic-violence-at-least-the-presence-or/) [Colin Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-greenwood/) > [Every single person who is a member of our party deserves to have certainty. They deserve to know that my attention and focus is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annamie-paul/every-single-person-who-is-a-member-of-our-party-deserves-to-have/) [Annamie Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annamie-paul/) > [The significance and volume of repairs that are needed across the country demand that we give state and local governments the long-term certainty they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-graves/the-significance-and-volume-of-repairs-that-are-needed-across-the/) [Sam Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-graves/) > [“Death is the one great certainty in life. That’s what my dad used to say. Nothing else is certain. Not love. Not happiness. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mila-gray/death-is-the-one-great-certainty-in-life-that-s-what-my-dad-used-to/) [Mila Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mila-gray/) > [ \[I\]f in other sciences we should arrive at certainty without doubt and truth without error, it behooves us to place the foundations of knowledge… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bacon/i-f-in-other-sciences-we-should-arrive-at-certainty-without-doubt-and/) [Roger Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bacon/) > [Do not lose hope; St. Joseph also experienced moments of difficulty, but he never lost faith and was able to overcome them, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/do-not-lose-hope-st-joseph-also-experienced-moments-of-difficulty-but/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [As the future is never known with certainty, the evaluation of the prospective benefits requires the formation of expectations. An acceptable house, partner or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-t-mortensen/as-the-future-is-never-known-with-certainty-the-evaluation-of-the/) [Dale T. Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-t-mortensen/) > [Finding someone that trusted my vision helped me find certainty in who I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/finding-someone-that-trusted-my-vision-helped-me-find-certainty-in/) [Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/) [Browse all 1,776 Certainty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I know that I do not know, and uncertainty, certainly, is the cruelest of words.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Oscar Auliq-Ice" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/i-know-that-i-do-not-know-and-uncertainty-certainly-is-the-cruelest/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Certainty" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/i-know-that-i-do-not-know-and-uncertainty-certainly-is-the-cruelest/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0af/oscar-auliq-ice-7668_certainty_i-know-that-i-do-not-know-and-uncertaint_2315890.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0af/oscar-auliq-ice-7668_certainty_i-know-that-i-do-not-know-and-uncertaint_2315890.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0af/oscar-auliq-ice-7668_certainty_i-know-that-i-do-not-know-and-uncertaint_2315890.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I know that I do not know, and uncertainty, certainly, is the cruelest of words.” — Oscar Auliq-Ice", "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": "Oscar Auliq-Ice", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I know that I do not...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/i-know-that-i-do-not-know-and-uncertainty-certainly-is-the-cruelest/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/i-know-that-i-do-not-know-and-uncertainty-certainly-is-the-cruelest/#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 } } ] } ```