Tom Brokaw Quotes

There is no such thing as a harmless truth.

Most of what we know or assume to know is wrong one way or another.

Everything you know could already be wrong.

In order to survive, we cling to all we know and understand. And label it reality. But knowledge and understanding are ambiguous. That reality could be an illusion. All humans live with the wrong assumptions. Isn't that another way of looking at it? That sharingan how much can you really se?

If I know the answer I'll tell you the answer, and if I don't I'll just respond cleverly.

Answers are a perilous grip on the universe. They can appear sensible yet explain nothing.

All you know is what you think you know, but that isn't always what's real.

The truth is scary, but knowing nothing is crippling.

We must not let go manifest truths because we cannot answer all questions about them.

A question is a trap and an answer is your foot in it.

If others tell us something we make assumptions, and if they don't tell us something we make assumptions to fulfill our need to know and to replace the need to communicate. Even if we hear something and we don't understand we make assumptions about what it means and then believe the assumptions. We make all sorts of assumptions because we don't have the courage to ask questions.

Not all questions can be answered.

It often happens that things are other than what they seem, and you can get yourself into trouble by jumping to conclusions.

Sometimes I don't tell the truth, which is telling the truth about not telling the truth. I think people don't tell the truth when they're afraid that something bad's going to happen if they tell the truth. I say things all the time that I could really get into trouble for, but they kind of blow over.

There are a dozen views about everything until you know the answer. Then there's never more than one.

Theories then are dangerous things.

Traitors hoist by their own petard?--or victims of the gods?--we shall never know!

Lies were lethal, however honourable the intentions of the liar. They deprived people of the opportunity to know the basic facts of their own lives.

It is better to have no ideas than false ones.

Before you ask more questions, think about whether you really want to know the answers.

Assumptions are dangerous things to make, and like all dangerous things to make - bombs, for instance, or strawberry shortcake - if you make even the tiniest mistake you can find yourself in terrible trouble.

A bet is a tax on bullshit; and it is a just tax, tribute paid by the bullshitters to those with genuine knowledge.

Those who seek the truth run the risk of finding it.

Knowing can be a curse on a person's life. I'd traded in a pack of lies for a pack of truth, and I didn't know which one was heavier. Which one took the most strength to carry around? It was a ridiculous question, though, because once you know the truth, you can't ever go back and pick up your suitcase of lies. Heavier or not, the truth is yours now.