--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wanted to know what it means to know…" description: "\"I wanted to know what it means to know something, whether we can know at all, and, if so, how.\" — Torbjorn Tannsjo" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/035/torbjorn-tannsjo-12405_ifs_i-wanted-to-know-what-it-means-to-know-s_2903484.jpg" --- # I wanted to know what it means to know something, whether… ![“I wanted to know what it means to know something, whether we can know at all, and, if so, how.” quote by Torbjorn Tannsjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/035/torbjorn-tannsjo-12405_ifs_i-wanted-to-know-what-it-means-to-know-s_2903484.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/035/torbjorn-tannsjo-12405_ifs_i-wanted-to-know-what-it-means-to-know-s_2903484.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/035/torbjorn-tannsjo-12405_ifs_i-wanted-to-know-what-it-means-to-know-s_2903484.jpg) > “I wanted to know what it means to know something, whether we can know at all, and, if so, how.” [Torbjorn Tannsjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torbjorn-tannsjo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Explores the nature of knowledge and the possibility of true understanding. **In simple terms:** What does it mean to know? Key Takeaway Pursue clarity, accept uncertainty. Themes knowledge philosophy inquiry truth skepticism Mood reflective inquisitive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - scientific research - personal reflection - education - critical thinking Key Concepts epistemology metacognition Questions to Reflect On - Can we ever truly know anything? - What limits our understanding? A Different Perspective Absolute certainty may be unattainable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“I hope I can never trust my wife. If I trust her it means I know her. If I know her it means I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-mitchell/i-hope-i-can-never-trust-my-wife-if-i-trust-her-it-means-i-know-her/) [Ben Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-mitchell/) > [“If you are sad because you know too much, it means that nothing you know is good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergey-vedenyo/if-you-are-sad-because-you-know-too-much-it-means-that-nothing-you/) [Sergey Vedenyo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergey-vedenyo/) > [I have the advantage of having found out how hard it is to get to really know something. How careful you have to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/i-have-the-advantage-of-having-found-out-how-hard-it-is-to-get-to/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [To know means to know all. Not to know all means not to know. In order to know all, it is only necessary to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-know-means-to-know-all-not-to-know-all-means-not-to-know-in-order/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > ['Belief' means something that you do not know. You want to assume and bring a certainty to something that you do not know. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaggi-vasudev/belief-means-something-that-you-do-not-know-you-want-to-assume-and/) [Jaggi Vasudev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaggi-vasudev/) > [“She wanted to know about them, not to know them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-g-robinson/she-wanted-to-know-about-them-not-to-know-them/) [Joan G. Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-g-robinson/) > [I was always hungry for love. Just once, I wanted to know what it was like to get my fill of it -- to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-was-always-hungry-for-love-just-once-i-wanted-to-know-what-it-was/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [To be smart means you know a lot of things. To be wise means you know what to do with you know. Knowledge without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stidham/to-be-smart-means-you-know-a-lot-of-things-to-be-wise-means-you-know/) [Richard Stidham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stidham/) > [Not knowing something, means that you know, that you dont know something, therefore not knowing, means that you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/my-me/not-knowing-something-means-that-you-know-that-you-dont-know/) [My (Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/my-me/) > [“Nothing means more to me than you, you have to know that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlen-aymes/nothing-means-more-to-me-than-you-you-have-to-know-that/) [Kahlen Aymes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlen-aymes/) > [“Now if we only knew what it means to know, we would be conscious.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atom-tate/now-if-we-only-knew-what-it-means-to-know-we-would-be-conscious/) [Atom Tate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atom-tate/) > [“Solara: You know, you say you've been walking for thirty years, right? Eli: Right? Solara: Have you ever thought that maybe you were lost?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/book-of-eli-movie/solara-you-know-you-say-you-ve-been-walking-for-thirty-years-right/) Book of Eli Movie > [“I’m a scientific expert; that means I know nothing about absolutely everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/i-m-a-scientific-expert-that-means-i-know-nothing-about-absolutely/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [“to be that smart means you know all the answers and when you know all the answers there’s no room for dreaming.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/to-be-that-smart-means-you-know-all-the-answers-and-when-you-know-all/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [“You know what a word means when you know how to use it, not what its definition is. That is why we can understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-baggini/you-know-what-a-word-means-when-you-know-how-to-use-it-not-what-its/) [Julian Baggini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-baggini/) ## More by Torbjorn Tannsjo > [Being a moral realist I see normative ethics as a search of the truth about our obligations and a search of explanation; the idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torbjorn-tannsjo/being-a-moral-realist-i-see-normative-ethics-as-a-search-of-the-truth/) [Torbjorn Tannsjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torbjorn-tannsjo/) > [I do believe that what I have called populist democracy is to be preferred to what I have called elitist democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torbjorn-tannsjo/i-do-believe-that-what-i-have-called-populist-democracy-is-to-be/) [Torbjorn Tannsjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torbjorn-tannsjo/) > [It is true that it feels very differently to enjoy a good meal, taking part in an interesting conversation, or to think of how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torbjorn-tannsjo/it-is-true-that-it-feels-very-differently-to-enjoy-a-good-meal-taking/) [Torbjorn Tannsjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torbjorn-tannsjo/) > [It is obvious that humanity faces existential threats of a global nature. They are global in the sense that is not possible to deal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torbjorn-tannsjo/it-is-obvious-that-humanity-faces-existential-threats-of-a-global/) [Torbjorn Tannsjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torbjorn-tannsjo/) > [To kill or not to kill, that was the question that haunted me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torbjorn-tannsjo/to-kill-or-not-to-kill-that-was-the-question-that-haunted-me/) [Torbjorn Tannsjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torbjorn-tannsjo/) > [Are there any good arguments in defence of moral nihilism? I think not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torbjorn-tannsjo/are-there-any-good-arguments-in-defence-of-moral-nihilism-i-think-not/) [Torbjorn Tannsjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torbjorn-tannsjo/) > [According to deontology it is wrong to kill an innocent human being, period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torbjorn-tannsjo/according-to-deontology-it-is-wrong-to-kill-an-innocent-human-being/) [Torbjorn Tannsjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torbjorn-tannsjo/) > [How could it be that I had a legal obligation to kill people I did not know, and who did certainly not consent to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torbjorn-tannsjo/how-could-it-be-that-i-had-a-legal-obligation-to-kill-people-i-did/) [Torbjorn Tannsjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torbjorn-tannsjo/) > [I want to think that there are better ways of obviating murder than to resort to capital punishment, but I realise that this may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torbjorn-tannsjo/i-want-to-think-that-there-are-better-ways-of-obviating-murder-than/) [Torbjorn Tannsjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torbjorn-tannsjo/) > [Even where people in different cultures agree they may all have gone wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torbjorn-tannsjo/even-where-people-in-different-cultures-agree-they-may-all-have-gone/) [Torbjorn Tannsjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torbjorn-tannsjo/) > [The Chinese are generally speaking much more reluctant than Westerners to killing as a means to the rescue of lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torbjorn-tannsjo/the-chinese-are-generally-speaking-much-more-reluctant-than/) [Torbjorn Tannsjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torbjorn-tannsjo/) > [I am indeed a hedonistic utilitarian. I have defended hedonistic utilitarianism for quite a while.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torbjorn-tannsjo/i-am-indeed-a-hedonistic-utilitarian-i-have-defended-hedonistic/) [Torbjorn Tannsjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torbjorn-tannsjo/) > [What we need is legislation, not negotiation, for the entire globe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torbjorn-tannsjo/what-we-need-is-legislation-not-negotiation-for-the-entire-globe/) [Torbjorn Tannsjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torbjorn-tannsjo/) > [There comes a time where next to everyone will resort to techniques that enhance cognitive, mental including emotive, physical, and other capacities. When this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torbjorn-tannsjo/there-comes-a-time-where-next-to-everyone-will-resort-to-techniques/) [Torbjorn Tannsjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torbjorn-tannsjo/) > [I believe that one basic question, what we ought to do, period (the moral question), is a genuine one. There exists a true answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torbjorn-tannsjo/i-believe-that-one-basic-question-what-we-ought-to-do-period-the/) [Torbjorn Tannsjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torbjorn-tannsjo/) [Explore all 55 Torbjorn Tannsjo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torbjorn-tannsjo/) ## More Ifs quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. Their stories are, if they are truthful, untidy affairs, resistant to windings-up and sortings-out. They beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/histories-never-conclude-they-just-pause-their-prose-their-stories/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Many individuals spend a considerable portion of their lifetimes in terror of one imagined catastrophe or another. The classic is that your immortal soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/many-individuals-spend-a-considerable-portion-of-their-lifetimes-in/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/) [Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/) > [If I don't have pressure, I don't function.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferran-adria/if-i-don-t-have-pressure-i-don-t-function/) [Ferran Adria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferran-adria/) > [If you restore a car, and you're making money, then you're doing it wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/if-you-restore-a-car-and-you-re-making-money-then-you-re-doing-it/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/but-we-are-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-play-a-meaningful-role/) [Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/) > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) Browse all 94,303 Ifs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I wanted to know what it means to know something, whether we can know at all, and, if so, how.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Torbjorn Tannsjo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torbjorn-tannsjo/i-wanted-to-know-what-it-means-to-know-something-whether-we-can-know/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ifs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torbjorn-tannsjo/i-wanted-to-know-what-it-means-to-know-something-whether-we-can-know/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/035/torbjorn-tannsjo-12405_ifs_i-wanted-to-know-what-it-means-to-know-s_2903484.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/035/torbjorn-tannsjo-12405_ifs_i-wanted-to-know-what-it-means-to-know-s_2903484.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/035/torbjorn-tannsjo-12405_ifs_i-wanted-to-know-what-it-means-to-know-s_2903484.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I wanted to know what it means to know something, whether we can know at all, and, if so, how.” — Torbjorn Tannsjo", "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": "Torbjorn Tannsjo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torbjorn-tannsjo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I wanted to know what it...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torbjorn-tannsjo/i-wanted-to-know-what-it-means-to-know-something-whether-we-can-know/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torbjorn-tannsjo/i-wanted-to-know-what-it-means-to-know-something-whether-we-can-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 } } ] } ```