Mark Twain Quotes

Incompetence is certainty in the absence of expertise. Overconfidence is certainty in the presence of expertise.

Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science.

It is a tragedy of the world that no one knows what he doesn't know - the less a man knows, the more sure it is that he knows everything.

When I knew nothing, I thought I could do anything.

If you are sure you understand everything that is going on, you are hopelessly confused.

I know everything that's out there that's worth knowing about.

I can always tell how stupid someone is by how certain they are about what they're saying.

He knows so little and knows it so fluently.

Ask the young. They know everything.

People realize this man knows what the hell's going on and nobody else does.

Science is his forte, and omniscience his foible.

I think the reason I am important is that I know everything.

For one thing, when you're playing as well as I was at the time, you think you can play with anything. That isn't true, of course, but I didn't know it then.

Those who have knowledge, don't predict. Those who predict, don't have knowledge.

All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure.

We live in a world in which data convey authority. But authority has a way of descending to certitude, and certitude begets hubris.

People can tell if you don't know what you're talking about.

The more you think you know, the more closed-minded you'll be.

There is nothing that saps one's confidence as the knowing how to do a thing

Ignorance sheer ignorance. There is no confidence to equal it. It's only when you know something about a profession that you are timid or careful.

If there's anything worse than knowing too little, it's knowing too much. Education will broaden a narrow mind, but there's no known cure for a big head. The best you can hope is that it will swell up and bust.

It's only because of their stupidity that they're able to be so sure of themselves.

A foolish man thinks he knows everything. A wise man knows he doesn't.

There is but a slight difference between the man who may be said to know nothing and him who thinks he knows everything.

A dogmatic tone is generally inspired by abysmal ignorance. The man who knows nothing thinks he is informing others of something which he has that moment learnt; the man who knows a great deal can scarcely believe that people are ignorant of what he is telling them, and speaks more diffidently.