Are you looking for a way to say that people often overestimate how much they know? You could point out that "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing". Discover where this famous saying came from, what it means, and how to use it in this post.
Meaning
The phrase "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing" warns against the fact that people who have learned a little about a particular subject frequently overestimate how much they actually know.
In this sense, knowing a little about a subject can be more dangerous than knowing nothing at all, as at least people who know nothing are aware how little they understand.
"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing" is now the most commonly-used variation of this saying, but the original, "a little learning is a dangerous thing", has the same meaning.
Example Usage
Are you curious how the phrase "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing" might be used in practice? Take a look at these examples:
- "Having heard that cryptocurrencies were exploring, my uncle invested in Bitcoin. Just goes to show, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing."
- "When I was a teenager, I thought I knew everything. It turns out that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing."
- "The research team explained why people chronically overestimate their skills in their new paper, titled 'A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing: Why We Don't Know What We Don't Know'."
Origin
The saying "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing", now so commonly used that it is often referred to as a proverb, originated with the English poet Alexander Pope (1688-1744).
The original phrase, "a little learning is a dangerous thing", first appeared in Pope's 1709 An Essay On Criticism. The concept, however, had already been discussed by the English philosopher Francis Bacon earlier.
It is no surprise that this phrase, which originated centuries ago has proven to have such staying power — the fact that a little knowledge is indeed a dangerous thing has deeply been explored by scientists since that time, and the idea behind the saying has been found to be true:
- People who know nothing about a subject, as they have never studied it, know that they know nothing.
- Those who learn a little quickly become confident. Not knowing how much there still is to learn, they believe they know much more than they do.
- Once people who keep studying a subject truly begin to approach expert levels of knowledge, they again lose confidence, now believing that there is still so much more to learn.
This concept has come to be known as the Dunning-Kruger effect.
The saying "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing" can serve as a warning to anyone who feels confident after learning a little.
Phrases Similar to a Little Knowledge Is a Dangerous Thing
You could also say:
- A little learning is a dangerous thing — the original version of the saying.
- You don't know what you don't know — a phrase that refers to a person's inability to grasp how how much they still don't know.
Phrases Opposite to a Little Knowledge Is a Dangerous Thing
While there are no phrases that convey the exact opposite, the following come quite close:
- Knowledge is power — a phrase that simply conveys that knowledge can be put into action.
- Ignorance is bliss — a phrase that can be used to revel in the benefits of not knowing, but which is also often used sarcastically.
What Is the Correct Saying?
The correct saying, "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing", means that knowing a little about something can cause people to overestimate their abilities, sometimes with devastating consequences.
Ways People May Say a Little Knowledge Is a Dangerous Thing Incorrectly
Some people might take the phrase "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing" to refer to the dangers associated with being generally uneducated. The phrase refers specifically to beginning learners, and indicates that it is necessary to keep learning before putting knowledge into action.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase a Little Knowledge Is a Dangerous Thing
You can use the saying "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing" to refer to any situation in which someone overestimates their abilities or knowledge after beginning to study that topic.
If your friend feels confident about fixing a generator after watching a YouTube video, for instance, you could counter with "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing".