--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: True wisdom lies in one's confession…" description: "\"True wisdom lies in one's confession about the limits of one's knowledge.\" — Socrates" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81f/socrates-405_confession_true-wisdom-lies-in-one-s-confession-abo_2090528.jpg" --- # True wisdom lies in one's confession about the limits of… ![“True wisdom lies in one's confession about the limits of one's knowledge.” quote by Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81f/socrates-405_confession_true-wisdom-lies-in-one-s-confession-abo_2090528.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81f/socrates-405_confession_true-wisdom-lies-in-one-s-confession-abo_2090528.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81f/socrates-405_confession_true-wisdom-lies-in-one-s-confession-abo_2090528.jpg) > “True wisdom lies in one's confession about the limits of one's knowledge.” [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True wisdom is acknowledging the limits of one's knowledge. **In simple terms:** Wisdom = knowing you don't know. Key Takeaway Embrace intellectual humility. Themes philosophy humility knowledge Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - education - leadership - personal development Key Concepts Socratic method epistemology Questions to Reflect On - What do you claim to know that you really don’t? - How can you practice humility daily? A Different Perspective Pretending to know can hinder learning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Confession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confession/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Lies Confession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lies-confession-4130117/) [Limits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limits/) [Limits Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limits-knowledge-1911370/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [True wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-wisdom/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Wisdom Lies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom-lies-626740/) ## Related quotes > [The task of science, therefore, is not to attack the objects of faith, but to establish the limits beyond which knowledge cannot go and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-virchow/the-task-of-science-therefore-is-not-to-attack-the-objects-of-faith/) [Rudolf Virchow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-virchow/) > [Once and for all, there are many things I choose not to know.--Wisdom sets limits even to knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/once-and-for-all-there-are-many-things-i-choose-not-to-know-wisdom/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [There may be things that are completely unknowable to us, so we must be careful not to treat the limits of our knowledge as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/there-may-be-things-that-are-completely-unknowable-to-us-so-we-must/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) > [Science may set limits to knowledge, but should not set limits to imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/science-may-set-limits-to-knowledge-but-should-not-set-limits-to/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Education: that which reveals to the wise, and conceals from the stupid, the vast limits of their knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/education-that-which-reveals-to-the-wise-and-conceals-from-the-stupid/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [The people I go after are the false experts, those who do not accept the limits of their knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/the-people-i-go-after-are-the-false-experts-those-who-do-not-accept/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [The true Wisdom is in recognizing our own ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/the-true-wisdom-is-in-recognizing-our-own-ignorance/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [“I pity those reviewers above, and people like them, who ridicule authors like R.A. Boulay and other proponents of similar Ancient Astronaut theories, simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/i-pity-those-reviewers-above-and-people-like-them-who-ridicule/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [The only true wisdom is knowing you know nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/the-only-true-wisdom-is-knowing-you-know-nothing/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [Wisdom is knowing what you don't know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/wisdom-is-knowing-what-you-don-t-know/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [The invention of writing will produce forgetfulness in the minds of those who learn to use it, because they will not practice their memory.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/the-invention-of-writing-will-produce-forgetfulness-in-the-minds-of/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [“True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, & the world around us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/true-wisdom-comes-to-each-of-us-when-we-realize-how-little-we/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [“Vaheguru, forgive me, but a woman must choose the wisdom of lies over the dangers of truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-singh-baldwin/vaheguru-forgive-me-but-a-woman-must-choose-the-wisdom-of-lies-over/) [Shauna Singh Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-singh-baldwin/) > [Wisdom lies not in possessing knowledge - which quickly becomes outdated - but in perpetually seeking it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/wisdom-lies-not-in-possessing-knowledge-which-quickly-becomes/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [Wisdom lies in thinking. The spear-head of thinking is rationalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/periyar-e-v-ramasamy/wisdom-lies-in-thinking-the-spear-head-of-thinking-is-rationalism/) [Periyar E. V. Ramasamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/periyar-e-v-ramasamy/) ## More by Socrates > [By all means marry; if you get a good wife, you'll be happy. If you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/by-all-means-marry-if-you-get-a-good-wife-you-ll-be-happy-if-you-get/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [Falling down is not a failure. Failure comes when you stay where you have fallen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/falling-down-is-not-a-failure-failure-comes-when-you-stay-where-you/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [Do not go through life like leaf blown from here to there believing whatever you are told.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/do-not-go-through-life-like-leaf-blown-from-here-to-there-believing/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [If the whole world depends on today's youth, I can't see the world lasting another 100 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/if-the-whole-world-depends-on-today-s-youth-i-can-t-see-the-world/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [“I only know, I know nothing”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/i-only-know-i-know-nothing/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/i-cannot-teach-anybody-anything-i-can-only-make-them-think/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [If measure and symmetry are absent from any composition in any degree, ruin awaits both the ingredients and the composition... Measure and symmetry are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/if-measure-and-symmetry-are-absent-from-any-composition-in-any-degree/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [Marry a good woman, and be happy the rest of your life. Or, marry a bad, and become a good philosopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/marry-a-good-woman-and-be-happy-the-rest-of-your-life-or-marry-a-bad/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [“For the fear of death is indeed the pretense of wisdom, and not real wisdom, being a pretense of knowing the unknown; and no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/for-the-fear-of-death-is-indeed-the-pretense-of-wisdom-and-not-real/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [There is no difference between knowledge and temperance; for he who knows what is good and embraces it, who knows what is bad and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/there-is-no-difference-between-knowledge-and-temperance-for-he-who/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [Besides, it is a shame to let yourself grow old through neglect before seeing how you can develop the maximum beauty and strength of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/besides-it-is-a-shame-to-let-yourself-grow-old-through-neglect-before/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [The greatest blessing granted to mankind come by way of madness, which is a divine gift.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/the-greatest-blessing-granted-to-mankind-come-by-way-of-madness-which/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [I desire only to know the truth, and to live as well as I can...And, to the utmost of my power, I exhort all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/i-desire-only-to-know-the-truth-and-to-live-as-well-as-i-can-and-to/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [So you would rather suffer an injustice than do an injustice?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/so-you-would-rather-suffer-an-injustice-than-do-an-injustice/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [The end of life is to be like unto God; and the soul following God, will be like unto Him; He being the beginning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/the-end-of-life-is-to-be-like-unto-god-and-the-soul-following-god/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) [Explore all 579 Socrates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) ## More Confession quotes > [If You Love Someone, Be Brave Enough To Tell Them., Otherwise Be Brave Enough To Watch Them To Be Loved By Someone Else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bilal-zahoor/if-you-love-someone-be-brave-enough-to-tell-them-otherwise-be-brave/) [Bilal Zahoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bilal-zahoor/) > [A love to Christ which is so cowardly and selfish that it is unwilling to proclaim by a public confession its faith in Him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbott-eliot-kittredge/a-love-to-christ-which-is-so-cowardly-and-selfish-that-it-is/) [Abbott Eliot Kittredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbott-eliot-kittredge/) > [Boys say its great..boys say its fine... 9 months later boys say its not mine..!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simi-ngr/boys-say-its-great-boys-say-its-fine-9-months-later-boys-say-its-not/) [Simi Ngr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simi-ngr/) > [The characters in my novels are my own unrealized possibilities. That is why I am equally fond of them all and equally horrified by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-characters-in-my-novels-are-my-own-unrealized-possibilities-that/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Notoriety and public confession in the literary form is a frazzler of the heart you were born with, believe me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/notoriety-and-public-confession-in-the-literary-form-is-a-frazzler-of/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [In Confession, Jesus welcomes us with all our sinfulness, to give us a new heart, capable of loving as he loves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/in-confession-jesus-welcomes-us-with-all-our-sinfulness-to-give-us-a/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [A man does not have to feel less than human to realize his sin; oppositely, he has to realize that he gets no special…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/a-man-does-not-have-to-feel-less-than-human-to-realize-his-sin/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“I was going to make a confession. Then I remembered I don't make them very well. We still need to see the monkeys." "You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/i-was-going-to-make-a-confession-then-i-remembered-i-don-t-make-them/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [Yelena, you've driven me crazy. You've caused me considerable trouble and I've contemplated ending your life twice since I've known you." Valek's warm breath…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-v-snyder/yelena-you-ve-driven-me-crazy-you-ve-caused-me-considerable-trouble/) [Maria V. Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-v-snyder/) > [“in other words, his story was part boast, part confession.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-mezrich/in-other-words-his-story-was-part-boast-part-confession/) [Ben Mezrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-mezrich/) > [“I have a confession to make.121 Almost every time I tune in to religious radio or TV, I want to change my religion. I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/i-have-a-confession-to-make-121-almost-every-time-i-tune-in-to/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [A catechism is simply a tool for teaching the fundamentals of the faith. Unlike a creed or confession, a catechism uses questions and answers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/a-catechism-is-simply-a-tool-for-teaching-the-fundamentals-of-the/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [“I’m beginning to get the feeling that confession is what we need in order to forgive ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-kuhn/i-m-beginning-to-get-the-feeling-that-confession-is-what-we-need-in/) [Shane Kuhn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-kuhn/) > [“We need repentance. You see, repentance is not only going to a priest and confessing. We must free ourselves from the obsession of thoughts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elder-thaddeus-of-vitovnica/we-need-repentance-you-see-repentance-is-not-only-going-to-a-priest/) [Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elder-thaddeus-of-vitovnica/) > [You said, I love you. I said it too. The only difference is, I didn't lie to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-said-i-love-you-i-said-it-too-the-only-difference-is-i-didn-t-lie/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 909 Confession quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confession/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "True wisdom lies in one's confession about the limits of one's knowledge.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Socrates" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/true-wisdom-lies-in-one-s-confession-about-the-limits-of-one-s/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Confession" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/true-wisdom-lies-in-one-s-confession-about-the-limits-of-one-s/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81f/socrates-405_confession_true-wisdom-lies-in-one-s-confession-abo_2090528.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81f/socrates-405_confession_true-wisdom-lies-in-one-s-confession-abo_2090528.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81f/socrates-405_confession_true-wisdom-lies-in-one-s-confession-abo_2090528.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“True wisdom lies in one's confession about the limits of one's knowledge.” — Socrates", "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": "Socrates", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "True wisdom lies in one's confession...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/true-wisdom-lies-in-one-s-confession-about-the-limits-of-one-s/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/true-wisdom-lies-in-one-s-confession-about-the-limits-of-one-s/#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 } } ] } ```