The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.Who said it: It is attributed to Stephen Hawking, but Hawking may never have said it. Variations on this theme have been said by Daniel Boorstin. A homier version is:
It's not what you don't know that kills you, it's what you think you know that ain't so.which appears to be from Mark Twain.
There is an ancient variation from Epictetus:
It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.
Some thoughts: The problem that both these quotes identify is one that is remarkably easy to fall into: We think we know something, but we don't. That not only stops us from learning the truth about what we "know" it can also stop us from learning many other things and can influence our action in ways that can harm us.
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