--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He who is certain he knows the ending of…" description: "\"He who is certain he knows the ending of things when he is only beginning them is either extremely wise or extremely foolish; no matter which is true, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/423/tad-williams-2777_awe_he-who-is-certain-he-knows-the-ending-of_2122576.jpg" --- # He who is certain he knows the ending of things when he is… ![“He who is certain he knows the ending of things when he is only beginning them is either extremely wise or extremely foolish; no matter which is true, he is certainly an unhappy man, for he has put a knife in the heart of wonder.” quote by Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/423/tad-williams-2777_awe_he-who-is-certain-he-knows-the-ending-of_2122576.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/423/tad-williams-2777_awe_he-who-is-certain-he-knows-the-ending-of_2122576.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/423/tad-williams-2777_awe_he-who-is-certain-he-knows-the-ending-of_2122576.jpg) > “He who is certain he knows the ending of things when he is only beginning them is either extremely wise or extremely foolish; no matter which is true, he is certainly an unhappy man, for he has put a knife in the heart of wonder.” [Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-williams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Premature certainty about outcomes kills wonder; assuming knowledge at a beginning leads to wisdom or folly, but inevitably causes unhappiness. **In simple terms:** Knowing too early destroys curiosity and joy. Key Takeaway Stay open to uncertainty and wonder. Themes certainty wisdom foolishness wonder humility Mood thoughtful melancholic curious Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - Decision making - creative projects - learning new skills - relationship building - career planning Key Concepts Epistemic humility psychology of expectation narrative tension Questions to Reflect On - How does uncertainty fuel your creativity? - When have you balanced confidence with openness? A Different Perspective May discourage confidence needed for decisive action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awe/) [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Extremely Foolish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremely-foolish-582548/) [Extremely Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremely-wise-1465020/) [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [Foolish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foolish/) [Foolish Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foolish-matter-4337125/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Knives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knives/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Unhappy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unhappy/) [Unhappy Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unhappy-man-393942/) [Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) ## Related quotes > [This is an extremely foolish and stupid and idiotic kind of attitude - to expect theatres to make money. 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Unhappy man marries beautiful woman.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-heffington/there-was-more-than-one-thing-wrong-with-the-whole-story-anyway-had/) [Rachel Heffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-heffington/) > [Unhappy is the man, though he rule the world, who doesn't consider himself supremely blessed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-elder/unhappy-is-the-man-though-he-rule-the-world-who-doesn-t-consider/) [Seneca the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-elder/) > [There is no such thing as a perfectly happy or perfectly unhappy man in the world. One has more happiness in his life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-casanova/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-perfectly-happy-or-perfectly-unhappy-man/) [Giacomo Casanova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-casanova/) > [Any man who does not think that what he has is more than ample, is an unhappy man, even if he is the master…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epicurus/any-man-who-does-not-think-that-what-he-has-is-more-than-ample-is-an/) [Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/) ## More by Tad Williams > [“That is what I hate about ruling and royalty, Simon. 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It seemed obvious. "You have to go down before you can come out - that's how these things always work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tad-williams/go-down-it-seemed-obvious-you-have-to-go-down-before-you-can-come-out/) [Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-williams/) > [“We call darkness our friend, but when the elders tell us stories of the Garden, they talk of the holy, unending light that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tad-williams/we-call-darkness-our-friend-but-when-the-elders-tell-us-stories-of/) [Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-williams/) > [Never trust people that like to call things by initials, that's my philosophy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tad-williams/never-trust-people-that-like-to-call-things-by-initials-that-s-my/) [Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-williams/) > [We tell lies when we are afraid... afraid of what we don't know, afraid of what others will think, afraid of what will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tad-williams/we-tell-lies-when-we-are-afraid-afraid-of-what-we-don-t-know-afraid/) [Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-williams/) > [“How can you care for a rough man like me?' he asked me. 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