Everyone knows someone who always seems to have all the answers. They can be wise, funny, or even a bit annoying, but their words often stick with us. Quotes from these “know it alls” can be a source of inspiration or a good laugh.
In this article, we gathered some of the best “Know It All” quotes. Each one captures a moment of wit or wisdom. They reflect the human urge to understand and explain the world around us. Enjoy these nuggets of thought and see if they remind you of someone you know.
Famous Know It All Quotes
“It is not enough to be well-intentioned; one must strive to be well-informed.”
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
“A wise man knows that he knows nothing, a fool thinks he knows all.”
“You can know the name of a bird in all the languages of the world, but when you’re finished, you’ll know absolutely nothing whatever about the bird.”
“He who knows best knows how little he knows.”
“To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge.”
“When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained.”
“Sometimes it is better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.”
“There is a distinct difference between having an open mind and having a hole in your head from which your brain leaks out.”
“we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
“The more you know, the more you realize you don’t know.”
“We know what we are, but know not what we may be.”
“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.”
“Don’t waste your time with explanations: people only hear what they want to hear.”
“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”
“The more I see, the less I know for sure.”
“Be careful of the words you say, keep them soft and sweet; you never know from day to day which ones you’ll have to eat.”
“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”
“Knowledge will give you power, but character respect.”
“A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.”
“Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.”
“Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”
“I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.”
“Never mistake knowledge for wisdom. One helps you make a living; the other helps you make a life.”
“Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment.”
“To be conscious that you are ignorant is a great step to knowledge.”
Inspirational Know It All Quotes
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
“A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.”
“In seeking knowledge, the first step is silence, the second listening, the third remembering, the fourth practicing, the fifth – teaching others.”
“To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge.”
“Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.”
“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”
“The more I read, the more I acquire, the more certain I am that I know nothing.”
“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”
“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow is our doubts of today.”
“He who opens a school door, closes a prison.”
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”
“we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”
“The more you know, the more you realize how much you don’t know.”
“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”
“Don’t gain the world and lose your soul; wisdom is better than silver or gold.”
“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
“The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you.”
“I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
“The unexamined life is not worth living.”
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”
“A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle.”
“An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field.”
“A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.”
“True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us.”
Humorous Know It All Quotes
“I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I don’t know the answer.”
“I’m not a know-it-all, I’m a ‘fact enthusiast’.”
“The more I see, the less I know for sure.”
“A know-it-all is a person who knows everything except for how annoying they are.”
“He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions.”
“I’m not a genius. I’m just a tremendous bundle of experience.”
“I don’t pretend to know everything. I just only speak on the things I’m sure of.”
“Education is learning what you didn’t even know you didn’t know.”
“Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, abstains from giving wordy evidence of the fact.”
“When you know nothing, you talk a lot. When you know something, you say very little.”
“A wise man knows he knows nothing, a fool thinks he knows all.”
“If you think you know everything, you’ve got a lot to learn.”
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
“The more I read, the more I acquire, the more certain I am that I know nothing.”
“It’s not the answers that show us the way, but the questions.”
“Experts are just pessimists with good PR skills.”
“Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.”
“Sometimes people don’t want to hear the truth because they don’t want their illusions destroyed.”
“A know-it-all has all the answers without ever bothering to ask the questions.”
“Wisdom begins in wonder.”
“Those who think they know it all have no way of finding out they don’t.”
“I am not young enough to know everything.”
“A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but a lot of ignorance is just as bad.”
“If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.”
“It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt.”
Wise Know It All Quotes
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”
“Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.”
“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.”
“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.”
“To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe.”
“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”
“In youth we learn; in age we understand.”
“Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.”
“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.”
“A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.”
“Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.”
“The more I read, the more I acquire, the more certain I am that I know nothing.”
“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”
“True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us.”
“Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you’d have preferred to talk.”
“The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them.”
“We live in an age where the strong is weak because of his moral illiteracy and the weak is strong because of his moral clarity.”
“Any fool can know. The point is to understand.”
“The older I grow, the more I distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom.”
“Some people drink from the fountain of knowledge, others just gargle.”
“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”
“Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.”
“My own self, at my very best, all the time.”
“To be conscious that you are ignorant is a great step to knowledge.”
“Wisdom is knowing what to do next; virtue is doing it.”
Sarcastic Know It All Quotes
“I’d agree with you, but then we’d both be wrong.”
“The only thing I know is that I know nothing.”
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
“I am not young enough to know everything.”
“The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.”
“The internet is where everyone is an expert in everything, especially the things they know nothing about.”
“Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead.”
“I’m an expert in the field of ‘knowing everything’ — just ask me.”
“Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge.”
“There are no stupid questions, just a lot of inquisitive idiots.”
“A wise man knows he knows nothing. A know-it-all knows he is wise.”
“I never make the same mistake twice. I make it five or six times, just to be sure.”
“In wine, there is wisdom; in beer, there is freedom; in water, there is bacteria.”
“People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.”
“Those who think they know it all have no way of finding out they don’t.”
“What I know for sure is that what you give comes back to you.”
“The more you know, the more you realize you don’t know.”
“I have opinions of my own – strong opinions – but I don’t always agree with them.”
“Confidence is ignorance. If you’re feeling cocky, it’s because there’s something you don’t know.”
“Everything popular is wrong.”
“To be clever enough to get a great deal of money, one must be stupid enough to want it.”
“Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something.”
“Just because you’re offended doesn’t mean you’re right.”
“An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field.”
“The more you explain it, the more I don’t understand it.”
Final Thoughts
Wrapping up, these “Know It All” quotes have shown us the power of wisdom and insight in everyday life. Each quote brings a new perspective on knowledge and the value of being open to learning. They remind us that true understanding comes from both knowing and admitting what we don’t know.
Adding these quotes to your daily routine can spark thoughtful conversations and provide inspiration. Whether you use them to motivate yourself or share them with others, these wise words hold timeless lessons. Keep exploring and let these quotes guide you through new learning experiences.
