Socrates — The only thing I know is that I know nothing.
The only thing I know is that I know nothing.Socrates
Paraphrase of Socrates, via Plato
This is not false modesty. It is the doorway to learning. The moment you admit how little you know, curiosity rushes in to fill the space that certainty used to block.
Every learner of English meets this humility early and often. Welcome it. The confident beginner stalls; the curious one, comfortable not-knowing, keeps moving forward.
Words that widen the world
A modest view of one's own importance; freedom from arrogance.
Synonyms: modesty, humbleness
Real learning begins with humility.
A strong desire to know or learn something.
Synonyms: interest, inquisitiveness, wonder
Curiosity carried her through the hardest lessons.
Common questions
It means true wisdom starts with recognizing the limits of your knowledge, which keeps you open to learning.
It's a popular paraphrase of ideas in Plato's dialogues rather than a direct quotation, so we mark it as attributed.
Carry it with you
In your own words, what does this thought mean to you? Write three or four sentences in English about a moment when it felt true — saying it yourself is how it stays with you.
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