--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is dangerous to know, but it is more…" description: "\"It is dangerous to know, but it is more dangerous not to know.\" — Rollo May" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe1/rollo-may-1295_dangerous_it-is-dangerous-to-know-but-it-is-more-d_2250552.jpg" --- # It is dangerous to know, but it is more dangerous not to… ![“It is dangerous to know, but it is more dangerous not to know.” quote by Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe1/rollo-may-1295_dangerous_it-is-dangerous-to-know-but-it-is-more-d_2250552.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe1/rollo-may-1295_dangerous_it-is-dangerous-to-know-but-it-is-more-d_2250552.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe1/rollo-may-1295_dangerous_it-is-dangerous-to-know-but-it-is-more-d_2250552.jpg) > “It is dangerous to know, but it is more dangerous not to know.” [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Knowing dangerous information can be risky, but ignorance can be even riskier because it prevents informed decisions. **In simple terms:** Knowledge carries risk; ignorance can be more harmful. Key Takeaway Seek informed awareness. Themes knowledge risk ignorance awareness decisionmaking Mood cautious reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - health decisions - financial planning - personal relationships Key Concepts existential psychology philosophy critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - What risks do you accept by staying uninformed? - How can you balance knowledge with peace of mind? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on knowledge can cause anxiety paralysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dangerous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous/) [Dangerous Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous-know-403860/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Know Dangerous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-dangerous-1214573/) ## Related quotes > [Love is dangerous, if you know it's dangerous, that makes you treasure it, and you'll work harder to keep it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-bushnell/love-is-dangerous-if-you-know-it-s-dangerous-that-makes-you-treasure/) [Candace Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-bushnell/) > [Never revisit the past, that's dangerous. You know, move on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/never-revisit-the-past-that-s-dangerous-you-know-move-on/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [I don't know what can be so dangerous about giving people hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-don-t-know-what-can-be-so-dangerous-about-giving-people-hope/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [From the beginning when you go into this sport, you know how dangerous it is. It will never be a safe sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-leclerc/from-the-beginning-when-you-go-into-this-sport-you-know-how-dangerous/) [Charles Leclerc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-leclerc/) > [“I won’t know myself until I find out whether life is serious or not,” said Trout. “It’s dangerous, I know, and it can hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-won-t-know-myself-until-i-find-out-whether-life-is-serious-or-not/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [It's good to know how to read, but it's dangerous to know how to read and not how to interpret what you're reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/it-s-good-to-know-how-to-read-but-it-s-dangerous-to-know-how-to-read/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [I've been married to two mad, bad, dangerous-to-know men and it was good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-hancock/i-ve-been-married-to-two-mad-bad-dangerous-to-know-men-and-it-was-good/) [Sheila Hancock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-hancock/) > [Damage People Are Dangerous Because They Know They Can Survie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/worldoftheinfamous/damage-people-are-dangerous-because-they-know-they-can-survie/) [Worldoftheinfamous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/worldoftheinfamous/) > [Knowledge is dangerous. Once you know something, you can't get rid of it. You have to carry it. Always.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-shannon/knowledge-is-dangerous-once-you-know-something-you-can-t-get-rid-of/) [Samantha Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-shannon/) > [Nothing's dangerous if you know what you're doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-unitas/nothing-s-dangerous-if-you-know-what-you-re-doing/) [Johnny Unitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-unitas/) > [He is mad, bad and dangerous to know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-caroline-lamb/he-is-mad-bad-and-dangerous-to-know/) [Lady Caroline Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-caroline-lamb/) > [Damage people are dangerous,because they know to fight and survive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-almarez/damage-people-are-dangerous-because-they-know-to-fight-and-survive/) [Beverly Almarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-almarez/) > [“Mad, bad and dangerous to know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/mad-bad-and-dangerous-to-know/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When I feel that confidence to do my best shots, I know I can be dangerous for all the guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-martin-del-potro/when-i-feel-that-confidence-to-do-my-best-shots-i-know-i-can-be/) [Juan Martin del Potro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-martin-del-potro/) > [“You know, there's no more dangerous creature on Earth than the teenage girl.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-kenneally/you-know-there-s-no-more-dangerous-creature-on-earth-than-the-teenage/) [Miranda Kenneally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-kenneally/) ## More by Rollo May > [Human freedom involves our capacity to pause between the stimulus and response and, in that pause, to choose the one response toward which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/human-freedom-involves-our-capacity-to-pause-between-the-stimulus-and/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Political freedom is to be cherished indeed. But there is no political freedom that is not indissolubly bound to the inner personal freedom of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/political-freedom-is-to-be-cherished-indeed-but-there-is-no-political/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Joy is the effect which comes when we use our powers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/joy-is-the-effect-which-comes-when-we-use-our-powers/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [In religion, it is not the sycophants or those who cling most faithfully to the status quo who are ultimately praised. It is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/in-religion-it-is-not-the-sycophants-or-those-who-cling-most/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [One of the few blessings of living in an age of anxiety is that we are forced to become aware of ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/one-of-the-few-blessings-of-living-in-an-age-of-anxiety-is-that-we/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Intimacy requires courage because risk is inescapable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/intimacy-requires-courage-because-risk-is-inescapable/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Artists do not run away from non-being, but by encountering and wrestling with it, force it to produce being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/artists-do-not-run-away-from-non-being-but-by-encountering-and/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [“Technology is the knack of so arranging the world that we do not experience it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/technology-is-the-knack-of-so-arranging-the-world-that-we-do-not/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [By the creative act, we are able to reach beyond our own death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/by-the-creative-act-we-are-able-to-reach-beyond-our-own-death/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Joy is the zest that you get out of using your talents, your understanding, the totality of your being, for great aims...That's the kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/joy-is-the-zest-that-you-get-out-of-using-your-talents-your/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [One must have at least a readiness to love the other person, broadly speaking, if one is to be able to understand him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/one-must-have-at-least-a-readiness-to-love-the-other-person-broadly/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Man is the "ethical animal" ethical in potentiality even if, unfortunately, not in actuality. His capacity for ethical judgment like freedom, reason and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/man-is-the-ethical-animal-ethical-in-potentiality-even-if/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Evil, in this system of ethics, is that which tears apart, shuts out the other person, raises barriers, sets people against each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/evil-in-this-system-of-ethics-is-that-which-tears-apart-shuts-out-the/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [We receive love — from our children as well as others — not in proportion to our demands or sacrifices or needs, but roughly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/we-receive-love-from-our-children-as-well-as-others-not-in-proportion/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [The opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice, it is conformity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/the-opposite-of-courage-in-our-society-is-not-cowardice-it-is/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) [Explore all 259 Rollo May quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) ## More Dangerous quotes > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Every one knows that the exercise of military power is forever dangerous to civil rights; and we have had recent instances of violences that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/every-one-knows-that-the-exercise-of-military-power-is-forever/) [Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [We're not very dangerous animals; we don't have a horn like a rhino or quills like a porcupine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fisher/we-re-not-very-dangerous-animals-we-don-t-have-a-horn-like-a-rhino-or/) [Helen Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fisher/) > [“It is dangerous to lock oneself away and lose track of what is happening outside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/it-is-dangerous-to-lock-oneself-away-and-lose-track-of-what-is/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [Its extremely dangerous to compare anyone else to Shakespeare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/its-extremely-dangerous-to-compare-anyone-else-to-shakespeare/) [Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/) > [In my youth-team days, I was always a left-winger who would stay close to the byline and put crosses in the box, so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjen-robben/in-my-youth-team-days-i-was-always-a-left-winger-who-would-stay-close/) [Arjen Robben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjen-robben/) > [The temptations of God were always more dangerous for mankind than those of Satan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-temptations-of-god-were-always-more-dangerous-for-mankind-than/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [When you start talking about elections being rigged, you're pushing people beyond democratic governance. And it's a very, very dangerous thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/when-you-start-talking-about-elections-being-rigged-you-re-pushing/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [The Patriot Act is certainly a concern; all of those things are dangerous. I think more important than me preaching is that we as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/the-patriot-act-is-certainly-a-concern-all-of-those-things-are/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [Die gefährlichste Weltanschauung ist die Weltanschauung derer, die die Welt nie angeschaut haben. (The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-von-humboldt/die-gef-hrlichste-weltanschauung-ist-die-weltanschauung-derer-die-die/) [Alexander von Humboldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-von-humboldt/) > [The most dangerous creature here would have to be me. So maybe I'm just scared of my own shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-most-dangerous-creature-here-would-have-to-be-me-so-maybe-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [The more people that learn about you, even if you're an underdog, then you can come under fire a lot and the more attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-way/the-more-people-that-learn-about-you-even-if-you-re-an-underdog-then/) [Gerard Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-way/) > [Anyone who maintains absolute standards of good and evil is dangerous. As dangerous as a maniac with a loaded revolver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/anyone-who-maintains-absolute-standards-of-good-and-evil-is-dangerous/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [The proliferation of right-to-carry laws throughout the states has drawn plaintive complaints from the criminal element. They feel that it makes their profession too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/the-proliferation-of-right-to-carry-laws-throughout-the-states-has/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) [Browse all 6,450 Dangerous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is dangerous to know, but it is more dangerous not to know.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rollo May" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/it-is-dangerous-to-know-but-it-is-more-dangerous-not-to-know/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dangerous" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/it-is-dangerous-to-know-but-it-is-more-dangerous-not-to-know/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe1/rollo-may-1295_dangerous_it-is-dangerous-to-know-but-it-is-more-d_2250552.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe1/rollo-may-1295_dangerous_it-is-dangerous-to-know-but-it-is-more-d_2250552.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe1/rollo-may-1295_dangerous_it-is-dangerous-to-know-but-it-is-more-d_2250552.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is dangerous to know, but it is more dangerous not to know.” — Rollo May", "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": "Rollo May", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is dangerous to know, but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/it-is-dangerous-to-know-but-it-is-more-dangerous-not-to-know/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/it-is-dangerous-to-know-but-it-is-more-dangerous-not-to-know/#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 } } ] } ```