"It ain't ignorance that causes all the trouble in this world. It's the things people know that ain't so"

Edwin Armstrong’s words highlight a profound aspect of human error: the danger not of ignorance, but of misconceptions confidently held. Many believe that lack of information or simple unawareness is the root cause of problems; we fear what we don’t know, and so imagine ignorance as the greater threat. Yet, Armstrong suggests the opposite. The true source of trouble is not a blank slate of not knowing, but rather the conviction in falsehoods, ideas and beliefs accepted as truth that steer individuals and societies in the wrong direction.

People act decisively and passionately on the basis of their perceived knowledge. When what they “know” is incorrect, their actions can have wide-reaching negative consequences. From social policies to technological initiatives, when foundational beliefs are mistaken, even well-intentioned efforts can produce harm. The damage is compounded by the certainty with which individuals defend and propagate these erroneous ideas. Without questioning one’s assumptions, misguided beliefs endure, often in the face of contradictory evidence.

History provides countless examples. Scientific dogmas, political ideologies, and cultural prejudices have persisted because people “knew” them to be true. Racial and gender-based stereotypes have led to injustice not because people were unaware, but because they were convinced by false premises. Medical misconceptions, such as misunderstandings about disease transmission, have produced policies that did more harm than good. Here, the obstacle to progress is not a lack of information, but the presence of false certainties.

Armstrong’s insight is a call for humility, self-scrutiny, and openness to revision. Progress depends not just on gathering more information, but on the critical evaluation of what we think we know. Only by actively challenging assumptions and remaining vigilant against the comfort of certainty can individuals and societies avoid the mistakes that arise when ignorance is disguised as knowledge.