"I do not believe in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance"
- Thomas Carlyle
About this Quote
This quote by Thomas Carlyle speaks to the idea that the collective opinion of a group of people is not always sensible or precise. He is suggesting that individual lack of knowledge can lead to collective lack of knowledge, which the collective viewpoint of a group of people is not always wise or precise. He is suggesting that the collective opinion of a group of individuals is not always the very best or most precise opinion. He is suggesting that private lack of knowledge can cause cumulative ignorance, and that the cumulative viewpoint of a group of individuals is not necessarily sensible or precise. He is indicating that it is necessary to think about the individual opinions of each person in a group, instead of relying exclusively on the collective opinion of the group. He is emphasizing the importance of considering private viewpoints and opinions, instead of counting on the cumulative opinion of the group. He is suggesting that individual knowledge and understanding is more valuable than collective lack of knowledge.
"Raising children is an incredibly hard and risky business in which no cumulative wisdom is gained: each generation repeats the mistakes the previous one made"
"The man who makes everything that leads to happiness depends upon himself, and not upon other men, has adopted the very best plan for living happily. This is the man of moderation, the man of manly character and of wisdom"
