The more you know, the more you realize you don't know
Meaning: True knowledge reveals the vastness of what remains to be learned.
Origin: Often credited to Socrates, Aristotle or Einstein, but none of them is known to have said it in these words. It echoes Socrates in Plato's Apology, who concluded that he was wiser than others only in that he did not think he knew what he did not know.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- French: Plus on sait, plus on réalise qu'on ne sait pas (literally: The more we know, the more we realize we don't know)
- Spanish: Cuanto más sabes, más te das cuenta de lo que no sabes (literally: The more you know, the more you realize what you don't know)
- Japanese: 知れば知るほど、知らないことがわかる (Shireba shiruhodo, shiranai koto ga wakaru) (literally: The more you know, the more you understand what you don't know)
- German: Ich weiß, dass ich nichts weiß (literally: I know that I know nothing)
More proverbs about Wisdom
- The greatest wealth is health — Good health is more valuable than any material possession or social status.
- Eagles don't catch flies — People of high purpose and ambition don't concern themselves with petty matters.
- You cannot step into the same river twice — Everything is constantly in flux; no experience can ever truly be repeated.
- A little knowledge is a dangerous thing — Partial knowledge breeds overconfidence and can be more harmful than honest ignorance.
- The frog in the well knows not the great ocean — Those with limited experience cannot comprehend the vastness of the wider world.
- A good beginning makes a good ending — How you start something largely determines how it will finish; preparation and intention…
From our untranslatable words
- Blunda — To close your eyes on purpose — and, by extension, to knowingly refuse to see something.
- Fredagsmys — The Friday-night ritual of soft clothes, snacks and television with the people you live w…
- Gökotta — Rising at first light for no reason but to go outside and hear the birds sing.