--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are slaves to whatever we don't…" description: "\"We are slaves to whatever we don't understand.\" — Vernon Howard" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/vernon-howard-2173_learning_we-are-slaves-to-whatever-we-don-t-under_676945.png" --- # We are slaves to whatever we don't understand. ![“We are slaves to whatever we don't understand.” quote by Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/vernon-howard-2173_learning_we-are-slaves-to-whatever-we-don-t-under_676945.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/vernon-howard-2173_learning_we-are-slaves-to-whatever-we-don-t-under_676945.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/vernon-howard-2173_learning_we-are-slaves-to-whatever-we-don-t-under_676945.png) > “We are slaves to whatever we don't understand.” [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 creates psychological slavery; understanding frees the mind. **In simple terms:** Ignorance enslaves; knowledge liberates. Key Takeaway Seek understanding to break mental constraints. Themes knowledge freedom self‑awareness personal growth Mood reflective motivational Type self‑help philosophical When to use this quote - education - therapy - self‑help workshops - mindfulness practice Key Concepts psychology philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What do you fear to understand? - How can awareness translate into action? A Different Perspective Knowledge alone may not change behavior. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Don Understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/don-understand/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Slaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slaves/) [Slaves Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slaves-don-2616174/) [Understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand/) ## Related quotes > [The tyrant grinds down his slaves and they don't turn against him, they crush those beneath them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/the-tyrant-grinds-down-his-slaves-and-they-don-t-turn-against-him/) [Emily Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [“When enough people realize that they are slaves but don't have to be, revolutions happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-s-b-morse/when-enough-people-realize-that-they-are-slaves-but-don-t-have-to-be/) [J.S.B. Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-s-b-morse/) > [I'm sure you think that I don't understand what you're going through, but I do. It's just that sometimes, our future is dictated by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/i-m-sure-you-think-that-i-don-t-understand-what-you-re-going-through/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [Sex is something I really don't understand too hot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger-2/sex-is-something-i-really-don-t-understand-too-hot/) [J. D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger-2/) > [“Without you, I'm nothing. Don't you understand that?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-cunning/without-you-i-m-nothing-don-t-you-understand-that/) [Olivia Cunning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-cunning/) > [What people don't understand is that how you are as an artist depends on how you are emotionally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellie-goulding/what-people-don-t-understand-is-that-how-you-are-as-an-artist-depends/) [Ellie Goulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellie-goulding/) > [We don't understand with our brains but with our hearts. That's where the image of God is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhard-bonnke/we-don-t-understand-with-our-brains-but-with-our-hearts-that-s-where/) [Reinhard Bonnke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhard-bonnke/) > [It's better when you don't understand the words in music. Because when you don't understand the words, you have to listen to what somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-brennan/it-s-better-when-you-don-t-understand-the-words-in-music-because-when/) [Ian Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-brennan/) > [When you don't understand, it's sometimes easier to look like you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/when-you-don-t-understand-it-s-sometimes-easier-to-look-like-you-do/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [We look for things I can understand. A lot of businesses I don't understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/we-look-for-things-i-can-understand-a-lot-of-businesses-i-don-t/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [Even though you may think you don't understand or know why things happen the way they do or you can't explain why you love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelesy-burns/even-though-you-may-think-you-don-t-understand-or-know-why-things/) [Chelesy Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelesy-burns/) > [I don't understand how any black person can tell me that they're not pro-gun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/killer-mike/i-don-t-understand-how-any-black-person-can-tell-me-that-they-re-not/) [Killer Mike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/killer-mike/) > [Things I don't understand don't destroy my faith in the things I do understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-l-evans/things-i-don-t-understand-don-t-destroy-my-faith-in-the-things-i-do/) [Richard L. Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-l-evans/) > [I don't even understand what 'retirement' means.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-g-rubin/i-don-t-even-understand-what-retirement-means/) [Michael G. Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-g-rubin/) > [When people don't understand what they're watching, a lot of what they perceive has to do with who they themselves are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/when-people-don-t-understand-what-they-re-watching-a-lot-of-what-they/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) ## 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 Learning quotes > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [Just understand that the good that you want is already here. All you have to do is get in harmony with it. And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/just-understand-that-the-good-that-you-want-is-already-here-all-you/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [“Men mistook measurement for understanding. And they always had to put themselves at the center of everything. That was their greatest conceit. The earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/men-mistook-measurement-for-understanding-and-they-always-had-to-put/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/) [Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/) > [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [Learning from the best, you will eventually become the best if you have the talent already, if you have that potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-orton/learning-from-the-best-you-will-eventually-become-the-best-if-you/) [Randy Orton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-orton/) > [Everything I do is more memorable and I understand music more than ever now. It's not a burden to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seungri/everything-i-do-is-more-memorable-and-i-understand-music-more-than/) [Seungri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seungri/) > [“let us not teach / what we have learned badly / and not profited by”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-hilda-doolittle/let-us-not-teach-what-we-have-learned-badly-and-not-profited-by/) [H.D. (Hilda Doolittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-d-hilda-doolittle/) > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [once in awhile you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look it right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-garcia/once-in-awhile-you-get-shown-the-light-in-the-strangest-of-places-if/) [Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/) > [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [Would she understand that time had stopped while she was gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/would-she-understand-that-time-had-stopped-while-she-was-gone/) [Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/) > [It's difficult for people to come to the understanding that only a small minority of the people ever really get the word about life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/it-s-difficult-for-people-to-come-to-the-understanding-that-only-a/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [“Damen's understanding of Laurent rearranged itself, in order that he might despise him more accurately.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-u-pacat/damen-s-understanding-of-laurent-rearranged-itself-in-order-that-he/) [S.U. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-u-pacat/) [Browse all 22,300 Learning quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We are slaves to whatever we don't understand.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Vernon Howard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/we-are-slaves-to-whatever-we-don-t-understand/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Learning" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/we-are-slaves-to-whatever-we-don-t-understand/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/vernon-howard-2173_learning_we-are-slaves-to-whatever-we-don-t-under_676945.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/vernon-howard-2173_learning_we-are-slaves-to-whatever-we-don-t-under_676945.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/vernon-howard-2173_learning_we-are-slaves-to-whatever-we-don-t-under_676945.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We are slaves to whatever we don't understand.” — Vernon Howard", "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": "Vernon Howard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We are slaves to whatever we...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/we-are-slaves-to-whatever-we-don-t-understand/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/we-are-slaves-to-whatever-we-don-t-understand/#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 } } ] } ```