Lionel Shriver Quotes

The only good is knowledge, and the only evil is ignorance.

I hate books; they only teach us to talk about things we know nothing about.

I willingly speak to those who know, but for those who do not know I forget.

It requires wisdom to understand wisdom: the music is nothing if the audience is deaf.

The knowledge from an enlightened person breaks on the hard rocks of ignorance.

Illiteracy is rampant. People are out of communication.

You cannot expect people to react to information they don't have.

I don’t think anything about Einstein’s theory because I don’t understand it.

You can't force anyone to understand anything that they don't want to understand.

There are none so ignorant but they may be taught. So, too, are there none so unfortunate in their understanding of the true and high relation of the sexes as not to be amenable to the right kind of instruction.

To remain ignorant of history is to remain forever a child

There is, of course, no complete solution. But we can do something. The chief means open to us is education There is no excuse for letting another generation be as vastly ignorant, or as devoid of understanding and sympathy, as we are ourselves.

Man is essentially ignorant, and becomes learned through acquiring knowledge.

Truth persuades by teaching, but does not teach by persuading.

The ignorant are to be found as much among the educated as among the uneducated.

A man who chooses not to read is just as ignorant as a man who cannot read.

Ignorance once dispelled is difficult to reestablish.

Witchcraft to the ignorant, .... Simple science to the learned.

Who does not understand should either learn, or be silent.

It's supposed to be a good thing that he's got this dialogue started. To me, I think, I just took away something bad from it, because, apparently he had to do this not to convince them of anything. To educate them.

Ignorance is of a peculiar nature; once dispelled, it is impossible to reestablish it. It is not originally a thing of itself, but is only the absence of knowledge; and though man may be kept ignorant, he cannot be made ignorant.

There is only one calamity: ignorance. And there is only one solution: enlightenment.

The only death I fear is dying ignorant.

A few drops of science will often disinfect an entire barrel full of ignorance and prejudice.

Everything can be explained to the people, on the single condition that you want them to understand.