Intelligent Ignorance

William Arthur Ward
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C
harles Francis Kettering once said, ‘A person must have a certain amount of intelligent ignorance to get anywhere.'

It's a good idea to be intelligently ignorant of petty criticisms, daily annoyances, and the would-be slights and put-downs from others.

It's wise to intelligently ignorant of the indiscretions, imperfections, inconsistencies, and impatience of our fellow human beings.

It's a sign of maturity to be intelligently ignorant of the onerous obstacles, bothersome barriers, and seeming impossibilities that constantly confront us.

It's particularly practical to be intelligently ignorant of our apparent limitations, our all-too-frequent mistakes, and our human errors.

To be intelligently ignorant is to overlook the awesomeness of our adversities, and to concentrate on the power of our possibilities.

To be intelligently ignorant is to be ever aware that what we know is but a fraction of all there is to learn…that our knowledge is microscopic compared to the glorious truths that await our discoveries…that our accomplishments are minor when measured by our opportunities for growth…that are achievements are small in relation to our potential for improvement.

To be ignorant is inexcusable; to be intelligently ignorant is wisdom.