---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You're not sure that you will have all…"
description: "\"“You're not sure that you will have all the documents. That is why the conclusions in history is not final.”\" — Teodoro A. Agoncillo"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/teodoro-a-agoncillo-18516_conclusions_you-re-not-sure-that-you-will-have-all-t_2618442.jpg"
---

#  You're not sure that you will have all the documents. That…

![“You're not sure that you will have all the documents. That is why the conclusions in history is not final.” quote by Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/teodoro-a-agoncillo-18516_conclusions_you-re-not-sure-that-you-will-have-all-t_2618442.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/teodoro-a-agoncillo-18516_conclusions_you-re-not-sure-that-you-will-have-all-t_2618442.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/teodoro-a-agoncillo-18516_conclusions_you-re-not-sure-that-you-will-have-all-t_2618442.jpg)

> ““You're not sure that you will have all the documents. That is why the conclusions in history is not final.””

[Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Historical conclusions are provisional because evidence may be incomplete.

**In simple terms:** History isn’t final; new facts change it.

Key Takeaway

Accept uncertainty in conclusions.

Themes

history uncertainty knowledge

Mood

thoughtful cautious

Type

analytical philosophical

When to use this quote

- academic research
- policy making
- legal cases

Key Concepts

epistemology revisionism

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you handle incomplete data?
- When should you act despite uncertainty?

A Different Perspective

Overreliance on provisional conclusions can stall action.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Conclusions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conclusions/) [Conclusions History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conclusions-history-2089302/) [Documents Conclusions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documents-conclusions-2089301/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Final](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-final-1302938/) [Sure Documents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sure-documents-2089303/)

## Related quotes

> [There are people who will appreciate what I've done, and there will be people who will criticize me. Ultimately history will have the final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wen-jiabao/there-are-people-who-will-appreciate-what-i-ve-done-and-there-will-be/)

[Wen Jiabao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wen-jiabao/)

> [“The purpose of history, as I see it, is to uncover the forces which move the pawns on the chess board of the world.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willis-a-carto/the-purpose-of-history-as-i-see-it-is-to-uncover-the-forces-which/)

[Willis A. Carto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willis-a-carto/)

> [“the brain is a machine for jumping to conclusions”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/the-brain-is-a-machine-for-jumping-to-conclusions/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [Don't be so quick to jump from conclusions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-alejandro-king-aka-the-covert-comic-2/don-t-be-so-quick-to-jump-from-conclusions/)

[John Alejandro King Aka 'The Covert Comic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-alejandro-king-aka-the-covert-comic-2/)

> [People make conclusions about somebody before they actually get to know someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-reed/people-make-conclusions-about-somebody-before-they-actually-get-to/)

[Patrick Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-reed/)

> [I try not to make snap judgments. I never, ever make conclusions about products I've never tried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-mossberg/i-try-not-to-make-snap-judgments-i-never-ever-make-conclusions-about/)

[Walt Mossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-mossberg/)

> [“Logic matters. It leads us from simple ideas to surprising conclusions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-e-landsburg/logic-matters-it-leads-us-from-simple-ideas-to-surprising-conclusions/)

[Steven E. Landsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-e-landsburg/)

> [We are not certain, we are never certain. If we were we could reach some conclusions, and we could, at last, make others take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/we-are-not-certain-we-are-never-certain-if-we-were-we-could-reach/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [“And why?’ He pauses. ‘I did it because you are the epitome of ordinariness, Ed. And if a guy like you can stand up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/and-why-he-pauses-i-did-it-because-you-are-the-epitome-of/)

[Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/)

> [I don't want happy-face conclusions. I want the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/i-don-t-want-happy-face-conclusions-i-want-the-truth/)

[Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/)

> [Science fiction rarely is about scientists doing real science, in its slowness, its vagueness, the sort of tedious quality of getting out there and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/science-fiction-rarely-is-about-scientists-doing-real-science-in-its/)

[Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/)

> [Enough research will tend to support your conclusions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-bloch/enough-research-will-tend-to-support-your-conclusions/)

[Arthur Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-bloch/)

> [I feel as if my mission is to write, to see, to observe, and I feel lazy if I'm not reaching conclusions. I feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/i-feel-as-if-my-mission-is-to-write-to-see-to-observe-and-i-feel-lazy/)

[Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/)

> [It surprises me how quickly the press likes to reach conclusions about my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sussanne-khan/it-surprises-me-how-quickly-the-press-likes-to-reach-conclusions/)

[Sussanne Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sussanne-khan/)

> [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/)

[Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/)

## More by Teodoro A. Agoncillo

> [“The people who criticize me are ignorant of what history is, because the very fact that the student of history chooses what to include…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/the-people-who-criticize-me-are-ignorant-of-what-history-is-because/)

[Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/)

> [“Maganda ang kastila. It is beautiful, lalo pa kung nagmumura.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/maganda-ang-kastila-it-is-beautiful-lalo-pa-kung-nagmumura/)

[Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/)

> [“Who is this historian who can say that he's telling the whole truth and nothing but the whole truth. Nobody, because you're human.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/who-is-this-historian-who-can-say-that-he-s-telling-the-whole-truth/)

[Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/)

> [“The attitude of a student in history should be do not accept anything until proven otherwise. Doubt everything including your parentage! Including your parentage!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/the-attitude-of-a-student-in-history-should-be-do-not-accept-anything/)

[Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/)

> [“I said that great men had a sense of history. But when you say you have a great sense of history it does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/i-said-that-great-men-had-a-sense-of-history-but-when-you-say-you/)

[Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/)

> [“What history is not biased? Show me a historian, a real historian who is not biased!...History is never objective.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/what-history-is-not-biased-show-me-a-historian-a-real-historian-who/)

[Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/)

> [“History is re-creation while literature is creation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/history-is-re-creation-while-literature-is-creation/)

[Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/)

> [ “Politeness is good only in social relations, because to be polite in literary or academic \[matters\] would be to be dishonest. Ipinasa mo out… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/politeness-is-good-only-in-social-relations-because-to-be-polite-in/)

[Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/)

> [“A good historian always provides for an exit in case of fire. "Probably," "allegedly," "it is possible...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/a-good-historian-always-provides-for-an-exit-in-case-of-fire-probably/)

[Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/)

> [“I do not believe in this command leadership. Dangerous doctrine 'yan ha. Because you cannot know everything your men do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/i-do-not-believe-in-this-command-leadership-dangerous-doctrine-yan-ha/)

[Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/)

> [“In historical methodology, it says that the more private a communication is, the more authoritative it is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/in-historical-methodology-it-says-that-the-more-private-a/)

[Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/)

> [“History deals with the past, not with the future. We use history to avoid the mistakes of the past, not to recreate the very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/history-deals-with-the-past-not-with-the-future-we-use-history-to/)

[Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/)

> [ “It's stupidity to continue using a method which is proven to be useless \[and\] fruitless. It's a waste of manpower.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/it-s-stupidity-to-continue-using-a-method-which-is-proven-to-be/)

[Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/)

> [“That is why I'm not in favor of the UP today which is too big, because the standard goes down. The reason is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/that-is-why-i-m-not-in-favor-of-the-up-today-which-is-too-big-because/)

[Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/)

> [“You see, this is one big defect of many people... They see nothing good in people they don't like. And this is dangerous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/you-see-this-is-one-big-defect-of-many-people-they-see-nothing-good/)

[Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/)

[Explore all 34 Teodoro A. Agoncillo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/)

## More Conclusions quotes

> [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/)

[Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/)

> [It surprises me how quickly the press likes to reach conclusions about my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sussanne-khan/it-surprises-me-how-quickly-the-press-likes-to-reach-conclusions/)

[Sussanne Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sussanne-khan/)

> [I feel as if my mission is to write, to see, to observe, and I feel lazy if I'm not reaching conclusions. I feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/i-feel-as-if-my-mission-is-to-write-to-see-to-observe-and-i-feel-lazy/)

[Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/)

> [Enough research will tend to support your conclusions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-bloch/enough-research-will-tend-to-support-your-conclusions/)

[Arthur Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-bloch/)

> [Science fiction rarely is about scientists doing real science, in its slowness, its vagueness, the sort of tedious quality of getting out there and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/science-fiction-rarely-is-about-scientists-doing-real-science-in-its/)

[Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/)

> [I don't want happy-face conclusions. I want the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/i-don-t-want-happy-face-conclusions-i-want-the-truth/)

[Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/)

> [“And why?’ He pauses. ‘I did it because you are the epitome of ordinariness, Ed. And if a guy like you can stand up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/and-why-he-pauses-i-did-it-because-you-are-the-epitome-of/)

[Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/)

> [We are not certain, we are never certain. If we were we could reach some conclusions, and we could, at last, make others take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/we-are-not-certain-we-are-never-certain-if-we-were-we-could-reach/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [“Logic matters. It leads us from simple ideas to surprising conclusions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-e-landsburg/logic-matters-it-leads-us-from-simple-ideas-to-surprising-conclusions/)

[Steven E. Landsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-e-landsburg/)

> [I try not to make snap judgments. I never, ever make conclusions about products I've never tried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-mossberg/i-try-not-to-make-snap-judgments-i-never-ever-make-conclusions-about/)

[Walt Mossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-mossberg/)

> [People make conclusions about somebody before they actually get to know someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-reed/people-make-conclusions-about-somebody-before-they-actually-get-to/)

[Patrick Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-reed/)

> [Don't be so quick to jump from conclusions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-alejandro-king-aka-the-covert-comic-2/don-t-be-so-quick-to-jump-from-conclusions/)

[John Alejandro King Aka 'The Covert Comic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-alejandro-king-aka-the-covert-comic-2/)

> [“the brain is a machine for jumping to conclusions”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/the-brain-is-a-machine-for-jumping-to-conclusions/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [We are the sum total of the decisions we have made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-are-the-sum-total-of-the-decisions-we-have-made/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Some call-in moderators are neutral and courteous. Then there's Rush Limbaugh, who is funny and pompous and a scapegoater and hatemonger. His popularity could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donella-meadows/some-call-in-moderators-are-neutral-and-courteous-then-there-s-rush/)

[Donella Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donella-meadows/)

[Browse all 108 Conclusions quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conclusions/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“You're not sure that you will have all the documents. That is why the conclusions in history is not final.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Teodoro A. Agoncillo"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/you-re-not-sure-that-you-will-have-all-the-documents-that-is-why-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Conclusions"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/you-re-not-sure-that-you-will-have-all-the-documents-that-is-why-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/teodoro-a-agoncillo-18516_conclusions_you-re-not-sure-that-you-will-have-all-t_2618442.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/teodoro-a-agoncillo-18516_conclusions_you-re-not-sure-that-you-will-have-all-t_2618442.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/teodoro-a-agoncillo-18516_conclusions_you-re-not-sure-that-you-will-have-all-t_2618442.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“You're not sure that you will have all the documents. That is why the conclusions in history is not final.” — Teodoro A. Agoncillo",
                "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": "Teodoro A. Agoncillo",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“You're not sure that you will...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/you-re-not-sure-that-you-will-have-all-the-documents-that-is-why-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/you-re-not-sure-that-you-will-have-all-the-documents-that-is-why-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
