--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I don't know I don't know, I think I…" description: "\"If I don't know I don't know, I think I know. If I don't know I know I know, I think I don't know.\" — R. D. Laing" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37a/r-d-laing-4861_know_if-i-don-t-know-i-don-t-know-i-think-i-k_3018248.jpg" --- # If I don't know I don't know, I think I know. If I don't… ![“If I don't know I don't know, I think I know. If I don't know I know I know, I think I don't know.” quote by R. D. Laing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37a/r-d-laing-4861_know_if-i-don-t-know-i-don-t-know-i-think-i-k_3018248.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37a/r-d-laing-4861_know_if-i-don-t-know-i-don-t-know-i-think-i-k_3018248.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37a/r-d-laing-4861_know_if-i-don-t-know-i-don-t-know-i-think-i-k_3018248.jpg) > “If I don't know I don't know, I think I know. If I don't know I know I know, I think I don't know.” [R. D. Laing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-d-laing/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A paradoxical reflection on knowledge and self-awareness, suggesting that certainty and uncertainty coexist. **In simple terms:** We can simultaneously know and not know. Key Takeaway Accept the coexistence of certainty and doubt. Themes philosophy self-awareness paradox Mood reflective intriguing philosophical Type aphilosophical psychological paradoxical When to use this quote - personal growth - psychology - mindfulness - decision making Key Concepts epistemology identity self-knowledge Questions to Reflect On - How does embracing uncertainty affect personal growth? - When is it useful to hold contradictory beliefs? A Different Perspective May be confusing without context, leading to misinterpretation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [If I don't know I don't know, I think I know. If I don't know I know, I think I don't know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-d-laing/if-i-don-t-know-i-don-t-know-i-think-i-know-if-i-don-t-know-i-know-i/) [R. D. Laing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-d-laing/) > [If I do not know that I do not know, I think I know. If I do not know that I know, I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-d-laing/if-i-do-not-know-that-i-do-not-know-i-think-i-know-if-i-do-not-know/) [R. D. Laing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-d-laing/) > [The more you know, The more you realize how much you don't know, The less you know, The more you think you know...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/the-more-you-know-the-more-you-realize-how-much-you-don-t-know-the/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“If you think you know everything; you know nothing. If you think you know nothing; you know something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayce-o-neal/if-you-think-you-know-everything-you-know-nothing-if-you-think-you/) [Jayce O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayce-o-neal/) > [“I know who you are. I don’t know who you think you are but I know who you are. I also know nothing you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/i-know-who-you-are-i-don-t-know-who-you-think-you-are-but-i-know-who/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) > [If you think you know everything and think you've done everything, I know you're an idiot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-shepard/if-you-think-you-know-everything-and-think-you-ve-done-everything-i/) John C Shepard > [It's not what you know, it's what you think you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/it-s-not-what-you-know-it-s-what-you-think-you-know/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [“What you think you know don’t mean nothin. There is a difference between thinking and knowing. 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Laing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-d-laing/) > [Doctors have throughout time made fortunes on killing their patients with their cures. The difference in psychiatry is that it is the death of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-d-laing/doctors-have-throughout-time-made-fortunes-on-killing-their-patients/) [R. D. Laing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-d-laing/) > [A psychiatrist who professes to be a healer of souls, but who keeps people asleep, treats them for waking up, and drugs them asleep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-d-laing/a-psychiatrist-who-professes-to-be-a-healer-of-souls-but-who-keeps/) [R. D. Laing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-d-laing/) [Explore all 105 R. D. Laing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-d-laing/) ## More Know quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. 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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. 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