A quote that would make Sir Humphrey Appleby proud...

[danlansdowne]

There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know.

--Donald Rumsfeld

Hacker: "Now why did you think I wouldn't want to hear that?"

Sir Humphrey: "I thought it might upset you."

Hacker: "How could it? I didn't understand a single word!"

Comments

[schrogwr2.livejournal.com]

There are also hasty, violent, stupid, unnecessary words and actions people take towards certain known and unknown things before learning what is true or untrue, and those who cannot or will not accept it when what things they believe, insist, or make lies about as true are false and known to be false and will never be true, so that they may take actions they need not take and hurt people in the process, even after they find out what is thought or insisted or lied about true is proven to be really false (and they knew it all along, or could have found out in a better, safer, more civil way).

[dhlawrence.livejournal.com]

Couldn't have put it better myself!

[deckardcanine.livejournal.com]

I find the Rumsfeld quote perfectly understandable. But also perfectly banal.