--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It isn't what we don't know that gives us…" description: "\"It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so.\" — Will Rogers" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b3/will-rogers-272_know_it-isn-t-what-we-don-t-know-that-gives-u_2286911.jpg" --- # It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's… ![“It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so.” quote by Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b3/will-rogers-272_know_it-isn-t-what-we-don-t-know-that-gives-u_2286911.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b3/will-rogers-272_know_it-isn-t-what-we-don-t-know-that-gives-u_2286911.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b3/will-rogers-272_know_it-isn-t-what-we-don-t-know-that-gives-u_2286911.jpg) > “It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so.” [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We suffer more from false beliefs we hold than from gaps in our knowledge. **In simple terms:** Wrong beliefs cause trouble, not ignorance. Key Takeaway Question your assumptions. Themes knowledge belief truth Mood skeptical reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal decisions - policy making - education - media consumption Key Concepts cognitive bias critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - What beliefs have you accepted without proof? - How do you verify what you think you know? A Different Perspective False beliefs can be hard to change even when evidence is presented. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Don Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/don-know/) [Gives Trouble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gives-trouble-461087/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Trouble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trouble/) [Trouble Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trouble-know-771406/) ## Related quotes > [“It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so. - Will Rogers The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-m-weinberg/it-isn-t-what-we-don-t-know-that-gives-us-trouble-it-s-what-we-know-2/) [Gerald M. Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-m-weinberg/) > [Most of the time most people know the right thing to do ...its the doing of it that gives them trouble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/most-of-the-time-most-people-know-the-right-thing-to-do-its-the-doing/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [Most of the time, if someone gives me trouble at a bar or something, saying, 'Why do you hate the Red Sox or Patriots?'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-buck/most-of-the-time-if-someone-gives-me-trouble-at-a-bar-or-something/) [Joe Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-buck/) > [Some of our weaknesses are born in us, others are the result of education; it is a question which of the two gives us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/some-of-our-weaknesses-are-born-in-us-others-are-the-result-of/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“The knowing is easy. It's the doing that gives us trouble.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vannetta-chapman/the-knowing-is-easy-it-s-the-doing-that-gives-us-trouble/) [Vannetta Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vannetta-chapman/) > [Unless your work gives you trouble, it is no good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/unless-your-work-gives-you-trouble-it-is-no-good/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [I don't know what humor is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/i-don-t-know-what-humor-is/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [The trouble with most of us is that we know too much that ain't so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-trouble-with-most-of-us-is-that-we-know-too-much-that-ain-t-so/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [I cheated myself, like I knew I would. I told you I was trouble. 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You know that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-scarrow/the-loners-are-always-trouble-you-know-that/) [Alex Scarrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-scarrow/) > [“It’s not what you don’t know that gets you in trouble. It’s what you do know that ain’t so. —Will Rogers or Mark Twain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-b-burger/it-s-not-what-you-don-t-know-that-gets-you-in-trouble-it-s-what-you/) [Edward B. Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-b-burger/) > [“Mark Twain said a century ago, “It’s not what you don’t know that gets you into trouble, it’s what you know for sure that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-kelley/mark-twain-said-a-century-ago-it-s-not-what-you-don-t-know-that-gets/) [Tom Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-kelley/) ## More by Will Rogers > [She was so ugly she could make a mule back away from an oat bin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/she-was-so-ugly-she-could-make-a-mule-back-away-from-an-oat-bin/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [We are always saying: Let the Law take its Course but what we really mean is: Let the Law take OUR Course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/we-are-always-saying-let-the-law-take-its-course-but-what-we-really/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [The Democrats and the Republicans are equally corrupt where money is concerned. It's only in the amount where the Republicans excel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/the-democrats-and-the-republicans-are-equally-corrupt-where-money-is/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [Farmers, get out your sense of humor. Congress meets to relieve you again next week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/farmers-get-out-your-sense-of-humor-congress-meets-to-relieve-you/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [Politicians, after all, are not over a year behind public opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/politicians-after-all-are-not-over-a-year-behind-public-opinion/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [American invents everything, but the trouble is we get tired of it the minute the new is wore off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/american-invents-everything-but-the-trouble-is-we-get-tired-of-it-the/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [I don't know what humor is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/i-don-t-know-what-humor-is/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [There are two things I don't care how smart you are, you will never understand. One is an alienist's testimony, and the other is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/there-are-two-things-i-don-t-care-how-smart-you-are-you-will-never/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [The more you observe politics, the more you've got to admit that each party is worse than the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/the-more-you-observe-politics-the-more-you-ve-got-to-admit-that-each/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [I don't think you can make a lawyer honest by an act of legislature. You've got to work on his conscience. And his lack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/i-don-t-think-you-can-make-a-lawyer-honest-by-an-act-of-legislature/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [There are two theories to arguing with a woman. Neither works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/there-are-two-theories-to-arguing-with-a-woman-neither-works/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [America is a great country, but you can't live in it for nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/america-is-a-great-country-but-you-can-t-live-in-it-for-nothing/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [There ought to be one day - just one - when there is open season on senators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/there-ought-to-be-one-day-just-one-when-there-is-open-season-on/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [Every Gag I tell must be based on truth. No matter how much I may exaggerate it, it must have a certain amount of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/every-gag-i-tell-must-be-based-on-truth-no-matter-how-much-i-may/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [So live that you would not mind selling your pet parrot to the town gossip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/so-live-that-you-would-not-mind-selling-your-pet-parrot-to-the-town/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) [Explore all 776 Will Rogers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) ## More Know quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [“To know someone, to be known. That matters more than he'd ever thought it would.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/to-know-someone-to-be-known-that-matters-more-than-he-d-ever-thought/) [Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [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/) > [If we will not interfere with our thought, but will act entirely, or see how the thing stands in God, we know the particular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-we-will-not-interfere-with-our-thought-but-will-act-entirely-or/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [Don't get too attached to someone you know you can't be together with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/don-t-get-too-attached-to-someone-you-know-you-can-t-be-together-with/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [I know what you're thinking... and you oughtta be ashamed of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-preston/i-know-what-you-re-thinking-and-you-oughtta-be-ashamed-of-yourself/) [Robert Preston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-preston/) > [I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) > [You will never know just how beautiful you are to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-never-know-just-how-beautiful-you-are-to-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I know how hard it is to be a woman, especially a black woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/i-know-how-hard-it-is-to-be-a-woman-especially-a-black-woman/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [“Take your time to find and understand what you don’t know and in the end, you shall know that it is not all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/take-your-time-to-find-and-understand-what-you-don-t-know-and-in-the/) [Ernest Agyemang Yeboah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) [Browse all 22,299 Know quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Will Rogers" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/it-isn-t-what-we-don-t-know-that-gives-us-trouble-it-s-what-we-know/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Know" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/it-isn-t-what-we-don-t-know-that-gives-us-trouble-it-s-what-we-know/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b3/will-rogers-272_know_it-isn-t-what-we-don-t-know-that-gives-u_2286911.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b3/will-rogers-272_know_it-isn-t-what-we-don-t-know-that-gives-u_2286911.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b3/will-rogers-272_know_it-isn-t-what-we-don-t-know-that-gives-u_2286911.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so.” — Will Rogers", "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": "Will Rogers", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It isn't what we don't know...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/it-isn-t-what-we-don-t-know-that-gives-us-trouble-it-s-what-we-know/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/it-isn-t-what-we-don-t-know-that-gives-us-trouble-it-s-what-we-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 } } ] } ```