Despicable Quote by William E. Gladstone
“Be thorough in all you do; and remember that although ignorance often may be innocent, pretension is always despicable.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Parliamentary address, United Kingdom, 1886
Ignorance can be harmless, but pretending to know more than you do is morally wrong.
In simple terms: Pretending to know is bad, real ignorance may be okay.
Key Takeaway
Avoid false confidence; admit what you don’t know.
Themes
honesty
humility
integrity
knowledge
Mood
reflective
serious
Type
advice
ethical
When to use this quote
- academic work
- political debate
- team meetings
- public speaking
Key Concepts
ethics
epistemology
social behavior
Questions to Reflect On
- When have you pretended to know something you didn’t?
- How can you politely reveal your lack of knowledge?
A Different Perspective
Admitting ignorance can undermine credibility if not handled carefully.
![“[The British constitution] presumes more boldly than any other the good sense and the good faith of those who work it.” quote by William E. Gladstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e01/william-e-gladstone-9842_british_the-british-constitution-presumes-more-b_529585.jpg)
![“The American experiment, the United States in the past eight years [2008-2016] was not considered worthy of leading, because we had committed too many transgressions. We didn't have the moral authority to lead anybody because we had too many injustices in our past and too many discriminations and…” quote by Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/837/rush-limbaugh-28_authority_the-american-experiment-the-united-state_153892.jpg)
