Slow Havamal: 75

The 75th verse can be taken in three distinct pieces of wisdom: 1) the ignorant are unaware of how ignorant they are, 2) you become a fool by listening to fools, 3) neither the rich man nor the poor man can blame the other.

We deal here with knowledge and fate, and a subtle discussion of causes. On one hand, we can either know something, or not know it. But on the other, there’s also a difference between knowing when we’re ignorant and thinking we have it all figured out. This is a second-order matter, independent of the first. It seems to create four levels of knowledge, in order from wise to lacking: to know, and know you know > to know without appreciating how much you know > to not know, and to be aware of it > to not know, and to think that you know.( Read more... )