Ignorance of all things is an evil neither terrible nor excessive, nor yet the greatest of all; but great clev... — Plato

Ignorance of all things is an evil neither terrible nor excessive, nor yet the greatest of all; but great cleverness and much learning, if they be accompanied by a bad training, are a much greater misfortune.

Author: Plato

Insight: Not knowing stuff is actually fine—but being smart and educated while staying selfish or cruel? That's the real disaster. It's like watching someone ace every test but treat people terribly; the intelligence without character becomes a weapon pointed inward.

Source: Laws, 689a

Ignorance of all things is an evil neither terrible nor excessive, nor yet the greatest of all; but great cleverness and much learning, if they be accompanied by a bad training, are a much greater misfortune.

PlatoLaws, 689a

Insight

Not knowing stuff is actually fine—but being smart and educated while staying selfish or cruel? That's the real disaster. It's like watching someone ace every test but treat people terribly; the intelligence without character becomes a weapon pointed inward.

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Plato

Plato was an ancient Greek philosopher and mathematician, born around 428 BC in Athens, Greece. He is known for founding the Academy in Athens, one of the first institutions of higher learning in the Western world. Plato's philosophical works, including "The Republic" and "The Symposium," continue to be highly influential in Western philosophy.

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