--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Men must not only know, they must act." description: "\"Men must not only know, they must act.\" — W. E. B. Du Bois" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/066/w-e-b-du-bois-2240_funny_men-must-not-only-know-they-must-act-277_2778047.png" --- # Men must not only know, they must act. ![“Men must not only know, they must act.” quote by W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/066/w-e-b-du-bois-2240_funny_men-must-not-only-know-they-must-act-277_2778047.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/066/w-e-b-du-bois-2240_funny_men-must-not-only-know-they-must-act-277_2778047.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/066/w-e-b-du-bois-2240_funny_men-must-not-only-know-they-must-act-277_2778047.png) > “Men must not only know, they must act.” [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Knowledge alone is insufficient; action must follow understanding to effect change. **In simple terms:** Know and act. Key Takeaway Turn knowledge into action. Themes knowledge action responsibility social change Mood determined urgent Type motivational political When to use this quote - education - activism - policy reform - community organizing Key Concepts Civic duty ethical imperative Questions to Reflect On - What actions will you take from what you know? - How can you ensure your actions align with your values? A Different Perspective Action without reflection can be misguided. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Know Act](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-act-361459/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-know-265274/) ## Related quotes > [Silvio, I gotta go, find out something only dead men know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/silvio-i-gotta-go-find-out-something-only-dead-men-know/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [I know what an Act to make things simpler means. It means that the people who drew it up don't understand it themselves and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/i-know-what-an-act-to-make-things-simpler-means-it-means-that-the/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [Do you really want to know who you are ? Act , because acts will define who you really are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-really-want-to-know-who-you-are-act-because-acts-will-define/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I know I can act and it doesn't matter where you come from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-kodjoe/i-know-i-can-act-and-it-doesn-t-matter-where-you-come-from/) [Boris Kodjoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-kodjoe/) > [I only know how to act. I don't know anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rishi-kapoor/i-only-know-how-to-act-i-don-t-know-anything-else/) [Rishi Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rishi-kapoor/) > [I know I can act. There aren't too many other jobs I know how to do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/i-know-i-can-act-there-aren-t-too-many-other-jobs-i-know-how-to-do/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [When someone attacks me, I don't know how to act sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larsa-pippen/when-someone-attacks-me-i-don-t-know-how-to-act-sometimes/) [Larsa Pippen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larsa-pippen/) > [We have to know before we can act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/we-have-to-know-before-we-can-act/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Actors may know how to act, but a lot of them don't know how to behave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-fisher/actors-may-know-how-to-act-but-a-lot-of-them-don-t-know-how-to-behave/) [Carrie Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-fisher/) > [I don't know how to put on an act; I always show myself for what I am, in whatever mood I'm in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-don-t-know-how-to-put-on-an-act-i-always-show-myself-for-what-i-am/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [“People don't want to know. They have to be made to know. Whether they act on what they know is up to them. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/people-don-t-want-to-know-they-have-to-be-made-to-know-whether-they/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [The people must know before they can act, and there is no educator to compare with the press.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/the-people-must-know-before-they-can-act-and-there-is-no-educator-to/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [I don't know how to act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-cloud/i-don-t-know-how-to-act/) [Angus Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-cloud/) > [You know how they do, how they act. See you with another man and they want you back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trina/you-know-how-they-do-how-they-act-see-you-with-another-man-and-they/) [Trina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trina/) > [We are not put into this world to sit still and know; we are put into it to act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/we-are-not-put-into-this-world-to-sit-still-and-know-we-are-put-into/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) ## More by W. E. B. Du Bois > [So often do you see collegians enter life with high resolve and lofty purpose and then watch them shrink and shrink to sordid, selfish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/so-often-do-you-see-collegians-enter-life-with-high-resolve-and-lofty/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [As a race, the Negroes are not lazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/as-a-race-the-negroes-are-not-lazy/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [If there is anybody in this land who thoroughly believes that the meek shall inherit the earth they have not often let their presence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/if-there-is-anybody-in-this-land-who-thoroughly-believes-that-the/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [Men we shall have only as we make manhood the object of the work of the schools - intelligence, broad sympathy, knowledge of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/men-we-shall-have-only-as-we-make-manhood-the-object-of-the-work-of/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [Had it not been for the race problem early thrust upon me and enveloping me, I should have probably been an unquestioning worshipper at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/had-it-not-been-for-the-race-problem-early-thrust-upon-me-and/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [Before and after emancipation, the Negro, in self-defense, was propelled toward the white employer. The endowments of wealthy white men have developed great institutions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/before-and-after-emancipation-the-negro-in-self-defense-was-propelled/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [The use of slave women as day workers naturally broke up or made impossible the normal Negro home, and this and the slave code…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/the-use-of-slave-women-as-day-workers-naturally-broke-up-or-made/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [Before the Civil War, the Negro was certainly as efficient a workman as the raw immigrant from Ireland or Germany. But, whereas the Irishmen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/before-the-civil-war-the-negro-was-certainly-as-efficient-a-workman/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [All art is propaganda, and ever must be, despite the wailing of the purists. I stand in utter shamelessness and say that whatever art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/all-art-is-propaganda-and-ever-must-be-despite-the-wailing-of-the/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [The ruling of men is the effort to direct the individual actions of many persons toward some end. This end theoretically should be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/the-ruling-of-men-is-the-effort-to-direct-the-individual-actions-of/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [Education is that whole system of human training within and without the school house walls, which molds and develops men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/education-is-that-whole-system-of-human-training-within-and-without/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [As Negro voting increased, Congress got an improved sense of hearing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/as-negro-voting-increased-congress-got-an-improved-sense-of-hearing/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [From the day of its birth, the anomaly of slavery plagued a nation which asserted the equality of all men, and sought to derive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/from-the-day-of-its-birth-the-anomaly-of-slavery-plagued-a-nation/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [It is the stars, it is the ancient stars, it is the young and everlasting stars!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/it-is-the-stars-it-is-the-ancient-stars-it-is-the-young-and/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others, of measuring one's soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/it-is-a-peculiar-sensation-this-double-consciousness-this-sense-of/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) [Explore all 177 W. E. B. Du Bois quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) ## More Funny quotes > [You cant be controlling in improv.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/you-cant-be-controlling-in-improv/) [Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [It's a hard thing to describe. It's just this sense that you got something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-describe-it-s-just-this-sense-that-you-got/) [Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/) > [God reveals Himself through surprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-reveals-himself-through-surprises/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Sometimes I look at my awesome twitter followers & think to myself, What the hell would I do without them :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/sometimes-i-look-at-my-awesome-twitter-followers-think-to-myself-what/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [The happy have whole days,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colley-cibber/the-happy-have-whole-days/) [Colley Cibber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colley-cibber/) > [Congratulations to Facebook on going public with all my private information...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/congratulations-to-facebook-on-going-public-with-all-my-private/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Why are things as they are and not otherwise?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-kepler/why-are-things-as-they-are-and-not-otherwise/) [Johannes Kepler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-kepler/) > [I've been funny my whole life. This is a gift God gave me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/i-ve-been-funny-my-whole-life-this-is-a-gift-god-gave-me/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [Penis goes in , sperms cums out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/penis-goes-in-sperms-cums-out/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [If you were to send a werewolf to the moon, would he be a werewolf permanently?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-schaal/if-you-were-to-send-a-werewolf-to-the-moon-would-he-be-a-werewolf/) [Kristen Schaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-schaal/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) [Pancho Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pancho-barnes/) > [If you can connect people, you can create the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-heiferman/if-you-can-connect-people-you-can-create-the-future/) [Scott Heiferman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-heiferman/) > [Don't think OF the market. Think AS the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fishman/don-t-think-of-the-market-think-as-the-market/) [Michael Fishman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-fishman/) [Browse all 39,858 Funny quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Men must not only know, they must act.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "W. E. B. Du Bois" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/men-must-not-only-know-they-must-act/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Funny" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/men-must-not-only-know-they-must-act/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/066/w-e-b-du-bois-2240_funny_men-must-not-only-know-they-must-act-277_2778047.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/066/w-e-b-du-bois-2240_funny_men-must-not-only-know-they-must-act-277_2778047.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/066/w-e-b-du-bois-2240_funny_men-must-not-only-know-they-must-act-277_2778047.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Men must not only know, they must act.” — W. E. B. Du Bois", "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": "W. E. B. Du Bois", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Men must not only know, they...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/men-must-not-only-know-they-must-act/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/men-must-not-only-know-they-must-act/#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 } } ] } ```