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We can be as honest as we are ignorant. If we are, when asked what is beyond the horizon of the known, we must say that we do not know.
Robert Green Ingersoll
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote emphasizes the importance of acknowledging our own ignorance regarding the unknown.

Robert Green Ingersoll's quote highlights the idea that honesty is directly linked to our awareness of our own limitations in knowledge. When it comes to matters beyond what we currently understand, it is essential to admit our lack of information rather than pretend to possess certainty, which fosters a truthful discourse in the pursuit of knowledge.

Themes

HonestyIgnoranceKnowledgeTruthUnderstanding

In practice

Example use cases

In a philosophical debate about the limits of human understanding.

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I will follow my logic, no matter where it goes, after it has consulted with my heart. If you ever come to a conclusion without calling the heart in, you will come to a bad conclusion.
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I believe that there is something far nobler than loyalty to any particular man. Loyalty to the truth as we perceive it - loyalty to our duty as we know it - loyalty to the ideals of our brain and heart - is, to my mind, far greater and far nobler than loyalty to the life of any particular man or God. . . .
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