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All our knowledge brings us nearer to our ignorance.
T. S. Eliot
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Knowledge increases awareness of how much we do not know.

T. S. Eliot's quote highlights the paradox of knowledge: as we learn more about the world, we become increasingly aware of the vastness of our ignorance. This serves as a reminder that education and understanding do not simply accumulate facts but also reveal the limitations of our knowledge and the endless pursuit of truth.

Themes

KnowledgeIgnoranceLearningUnderstandingWisdom

In practice

Example use cases

During a lecture on the limits of science, this quote can emphasize the ongoing journey of learning.

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There is no feeling, except the extremes of fear and grief, that does not find relief in music.
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I am an Anglo-Catholic in religion, a classicist in literature and a royalist in politics.
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In the faint moonlight, the grass is singing
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