I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.
Will RogersRead
All I know is just what I read in the papers, and that's an alibi for my ignorance.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the limitations of knowledge gained from superficial sources like newspapers.
Will Rogers expresses that relying solely on newspapers for information can lead to ignorance. He suggests that the information presented in such media is often incomplete or biased, and one should seek deeper understanding rather than accept what is published at face value. This acknowledgment serves as a reflection on the importance of critical thinking and personal investigation in the pursuit of knowledge.
Themes
KnowledgeIgnoranceMediaNewspapersWisdom
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the impact of media on public opinion, one could say, 'As Will Rogers said, All I know is just what I read in the papers, and that's an alibi for my ignorance.'
More from Will Rogers
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Why don't they pass a constitutional amendment prohibiting anybody from learning anything? If it works as well as prohibition did, in five years Americans would be the smartest race of people on Earth.
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The 1928 Republican Convention opened with a prayer. If the Lord can see His way clear to bless the Republican Party the way it's been carrying on, then the rest of us ought to get it without even asking.
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Let advertisers spend the same amount of money improving their product that they do on advertising and they wouldn't have to advertise it.
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The man with the best job in the country is the vice-president. All he has to do is get up every morning and say, 'How is the president?'
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