--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ignorant people remain ignorant because…" description: "\"Ignorant people remain ignorant because they have a secret agreement to call one another intelligent.\" — Vernon Howard" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc7/vernon-howard-2173_agreement_ignorant-people-remain-ignorant-because_1943865.png" --- # Ignorant people remain ignorant because they have a secret… ![“Ignorant people remain ignorant because they have a secret agreement to call one another intelligent.” quote by Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc7/vernon-howard-2173_agreement_ignorant-people-remain-ignorant-because_1943865.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc7/vernon-howard-2173_agreement_ignorant-people-remain-ignorant-because_1943865.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc7/vernon-howard-2173_agreement_ignorant-people-remain-ignorant-because_1943865.png) > “Ignorant people remain ignorant because they have a secret agreement to call one another intelligent.” [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ignorance persists when people mutually affirm each other's false intelligence. **In simple terms:** People stay ignorant by praising each other's ignorance. Key Takeaway Encourage honest, critical dialogue. Themes ignorance self‑deception groupthink Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - classroom discussions - team meetings - online forums Key Concepts education epistemology Questions to Reflect On - How can you challenge false intelligence constructively? - What safeguards promote genuine learning? A Different Perspective Group pressure can suppress truth‑seeking. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agreement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agreement/) [Agreement Intelligent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agreement-intelligent-2334550/) [Ignorant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorant/) [Ignorant people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorant-people/) [Ignorant Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorant-secret-3113696/) [Intelligent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligent/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Remain Ignorant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remain-ignorant-1265373/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) ## Related quotes > [Through all the years that I spent formulating my philosophical system, I was looking desperately for “intelligent agreement” or at least for “intelligent disagreement.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/through-all-the-years-that-i-spent-formulating-my-philosophical/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [To remain innocent may also be. to remain ignorant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-berger/to-remain-innocent-may-also-be-to-remain-ignorant/) [John Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-berger/) > [Freedom isn't free. It shouldn't be a bragging point that 'Oh, I don't get involved in politics,' as if that makes someone cleaner. No,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/freedom-isn-t-free-it-shouldn-t-be-a-bragging-point-that-oh-i-don-t/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [The world is hard and cruel. We are here none knows why, and we go none knows whither. We must be very humble. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/the-world-is-hard-and-cruel-we-are-here-none-knows-why-and-we-go-none/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [It is ourselves alone that make our days lucky or unlucky. Away, then, with a vain prejudice, the invention of the priesthood, which has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/it-is-ourselves-alone-that-make-our-days-lucky-or-unlucky-away-then/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [I hate school & all the ignorant people in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-hate-school-all-the-ignorant-people-in-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Under the freest constitution ignorant people are still slaves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-de-caritat-marquis-de-condorcet/under-the-freest-constitution-ignorant-people-are-still-slaves/) [Nicolas de Caritat, marquis de Condorcet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-de-caritat-marquis-de-condorcet/) > [I hate ignorant people who don't know the difference between Jews and zionists and Muslims and terrorists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-hate-ignorant-people-who-don-t-know-the-difference-between-jews-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Slavery is the daughter of darkness: an ignorant people is a blind instrument of its own destruction”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-bolivar/slavery-is-the-daughter-of-darkness-an-ignorant-people-is-a-blind/) [Simón Bolívar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-bolivar/) > [A good many causes tend to make good masters and mistresses quite as rare as good servants… The large and rapid fortunes by which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fanny-kemble/a-good-many-causes-tend-to-make-good-masters-and-mistresses-quite-as/) [Fanny Kemble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fanny-kemble/) > [Thousands are the children of poor foreigners who have permitted them to grow up without school, education, or religion. All the neglect and bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-loring-brace/thousands-are-the-children-of-poor-foreigners-who-have-permitted-them/) [Charles Loring Brace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-loring-brace/) > [WHEN reading my present treatise, bear in mind that by "faith" we do not understand merely that which is uttered with the lips, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maimonides/when-reading-my-present-treatise-bear-in-mind-that-by-faith-we-do-not/) [Maimonides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maimonides/) > [“When enlightened souls come in contact with ignorant people like you, they have to speak in YOUR language, because you are not yet qualified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramana-pemmaraju/when-enlightened-souls-come-in-contact-with-ignorant-people-like-you/) [Ramana Pemmaraju](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramana-pemmaraju/) > [The doctrines of the Bible are often not clothed in the language of strict truth, but in that which was fittest to convey to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-pike/the-doctrines-of-the-bible-are-often-not-clothed-in-the-language-of/) [Albert Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-pike/) > [“I've also now been around enough people who have a low opinion of anyone who's creative in a non-professional realm to know that that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-kendrick/i-ve-also-now-been-around-enough-people-who-have-a-low-opinion-of/) [Anna Kendrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-kendrick/) ## More by Vernon Howard > [“A self-working individual will be sitting around home one day when the startling thought occurs, “Here I am, sitting around, doing nothing of interest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/a-self-working-individual-will-be-sitting-around-home-one-day-when/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [The terrible immoralities are the cunning ones hiding behind masks of morality, such as exploiting people while pretending to help them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/the-terrible-immoralities-are-the-cunning-ones-hiding-behind-masks-of/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [No one on earth can hurt you, unless you accept the hurt in your own mind. . . The problem is not other people;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/no-one-on-earth-can-hurt-you-unless-you-accept-the-hurt-in-your-own/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [To change what you get you must change who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/to-change-what-you-get-you-must-change-who-you-are/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Genuine kindness is not what we do, it is what we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/genuine-kindness-is-not-what-we-do-it-is-what-we-are/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [When told that man lives in delusion everyone thinks of himself as the exception; hence his delusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/when-told-that-man-lives-in-delusion-everyone-thinks-of-himself-as/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [It is against the law to permit weak people to steal your strength. Never permit it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/it-is-against-the-law-to-permit-weak-people-to-steal-your-strength/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Men have the illusion of having a duty to make the world spin properly, which is precisely what makes it wobble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/men-have-the-illusion-of-having-a-duty-to-make-the-world-spin/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Just as surely as distress must follow self-deceit, healing must follow self-honesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/just-as-surely-as-distress-must-follow-self-deceit-healing-must/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Quit thinking that you must halt before the barrier of inner negativity. You need not. You can crash through... whatever we see a negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/quit-thinking-that-you-must-halt-before-the-barrier-of-inner/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [One false idea is that anyone can hurt you. Events can ruin your reputation, take your money, mistreat you, revenge itself upon you, deceive,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/one-false-idea-is-that-anyone-can-hurt-you-events-can-ruin-your/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Don't try to be unafraid. That is impossible. Rather, go ahead while being afraid. That is the entire secret for abolishing fear. The Supermind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/don-t-try-to-be-unafraid-that-is-impossible-rather-go-ahead-while/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [The only way to do something truly important every day is to seek to understand yourself every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/the-only-way-to-do-something-truly-important-every-day-is-to-seek-to/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Make it absolutely clear to yourself what you want from other people. That is really half the secret for drawing your desire to you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/make-it-absolutely-clear-to-yourself-what-you-want-from-other-people/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [The only reason you do not do great things is because you timidly cling to small things. Will you let loose of small things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/the-only-reason-you-do-not-do-great-things-is-because-you-timidly/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) [Explore all 181 Vernon Howard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) ## More Agreement quotes > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [There's no way to have a peace agreement unless the mediator or negotiator looks at both sides from an equal basis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/there-s-no-way-to-have-a-peace-agreement-unless-the-mediator-or/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [Biochemists and biologists who adhere blindly to the Darwinism theory search for results that will be in agreement with their theories and consequently orient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-paul-grasse/biochemists-and-biologists-who-adhere-blindly-to-the-darwinism-theory/) [Pierre-Paul Grasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-paul-grasse/) > [In coming to that agreement, my party had a clear philosophy throughout. 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I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paddy-ashdown/i-am-formally-accountable-to-the-steering-board-of-the-pic-and-i-meet/) [Paddy Ashdown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paddy-ashdown/) > [Because countries often have differing political and economic systems, agreements are needed to protect those invested in trade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/because-countries-often-have-differing-political-and-economic-systems/) [David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) > [As long as I sit at Henry Clay's desk, I will remember his lifelong desire to forge agreement, but I will also keep close…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/as-long-as-i-sit-at-henry-clay-s-desk-i-will-remember-his-lifelong/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [Gaia's main problems are not industrialization, ozone depletion, overpopulation, or resource depletion. 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