Crises Quote by Robert Jackson Bennett
““In my operational days, there were three ways of thinking about things. There were things you knew. Then there were things you knew you didn’t know. And then there were the things you didn’t know that you didn’t know.” “No wonder we keep having so many international crises,” she says, “if you lot are running around talking like that.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview, 2022
The quote highlights three levels of knowledge: known facts, acknowledged unknowns, and unknown unknowns, warning that ignoring the deepest ignorance fuels crises.
In simple terms: We know some things, admit gaps, and miss hidden gaps, leading to problems.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and explore hidden gaps.
Themes
knowledge
ignorance
crisis
self-awareness
Mood
cautious
reflective
Type
analytical
warning
When to use this quote
- policy making
- international relations
- personal decision making
- strategic planning
Key Concepts
epistemology
risk management
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we uncover hidden blind spots?
- What processes help reveal unknown unknowns?
A Different Perspective
It can be hard to identify what we don’t know without systematic inquiry.
![“I put my office right in the middle of the death they threaten us with. [...] here I sit, every day, hanging over all this wasted nothing. I will never forget what the world could be, should my vigilance never fail. And more than that, I will never forget that in a way we are all hanged men and…” quote by Robert Jackson Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/be0/robert-jackson-bennett-11596_death_i-put-my-office-right-in-the-middle-of-t_535807.jpg)
