Hard time Quote by Wendell Berry
““The modern ignorance is in people's assumption that they can outsmart their own nature. It is in the arrogance that will believe nothing that cannot be proved, and respect nothing it cannot understand, and value nothing it cannot sell . . . The next hard time is just as real to him as the last, and so is the next blessing. The new ignorance is the same as the old, only less aware that ignorance is the same as the old, only less aware that ignorance is what it is. It is less humble, more foolish and frivolous, more dangerous. A man, Old Jack thinks, has no choice but to be ignorant, but he does not have to be a fool. He can know his place, and he can stay in it and be faithful.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The New Ignorance,” 1975
He warns that modern arrogance ignores nature and empirical limits, urging humility and awareness of timeless ignorance.
In simple terms: Arrogance blinds us to nature and truth.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate humility and respect limits.
Themes
philosophy
environment
humility
Mood
thoughtful
serious
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- academic discourse
- environmental activism
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
epistemology
human nature
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we balance confidence and humility?
- What practices foster true understanding?
A Different Perspective
Blind spots persist despite knowledge.
![“[...] the less you know, the less you will be aware of your ignorance. The familiar metaphor is that the wider the circle of our knowledge, the greater its contact with the unknown, and the more oppressive our feeling of cognitive inadequacy. By contrast, a small mind finds a small world to match…” quote by Raymond Tallis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a90/raymond-tallis-72119_ignorance_the-less-you-know-the-less-you-will-be-a_2743819.jpg)
![“It wasn't [Barack] Obama per se; it was the feeling on the ground; it was seeing an old black woman in a wheelchair being wheeled by her son waving a big American flag, and then seeing a guy with his baby in his arms saying, "I didn't want her to miss tonight! I wanted to be able to tell her!" And…” quote by Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/806/bill-ayers-1848_able_it-wasn-t-barack-obama-per-se-it-was-the_20409.jpg)