It is no good to try to stop knowledge from going forward.

Hear the solemn words of Enrico Fermi, the great physicist who harnessed the fire at the heart of the atom, who declared: “It is no good to try to stop knowledge from going forward. Ignorance is never better than knowledge.” These words were not spoken lightly, but in an age when the fruits of knowledge brought both salvation and terror. For Fermi had seen with his own eyes that human discovery could light cities—or destroy them. Yet even so, he proclaimed that to halt knowledge is folly, and that ignorance, no matter how comforting, is a curse rather than a shield.

Fermi’s life itself was a testament to this truth. Born in Italy, he pursued science with an insatiable hunger, rising to unlock secrets of the universe hidden deep within matter itself. His work led to the creation of the first nuclear reactor, a cornerstone of both peaceful energy and the weapons of war. He understood better than most that knowledge can be dangerous—but he also knew that to deny it, to try to turn away from it, would be even more perilous. For ignorance leaves humanity blind, defenseless before the unknown, while knowledge, however heavy, gives us the chance to steer destiny.

History is filled with examples of those who tried to halt progress through ignorance, and all failed. The Church once silenced Galileo, commanding the earth to stand still and the sun to circle around it. Yet the truth of the cosmos marched on, and their denial only delayed, never defeated, the coming of deeper understanding. The cost of their refusal was not protection but blindness. In the same way, every age that clings to ignorance soon finds itself broken upon the rocks of reality, while those who embrace knowledge endure and rise.

Fermi’s warning is therefore both heroic and somber. He does not promise that knowledge will always bring comfort—indeed, he knew that some truths cut like a sword. But he teaches that ignorance is never the safer path. To shut our eyes does not stop the storm; it only ensures that when the storm breaks, we are unprepared. Knowledge may bring burden, but it also brings strength. It gives us the tools to heal, to build, to adapt, and to face dangers with courage rather than with empty hope.

Consider the story of medicine. In centuries past, disease swept across the world like fire. Many clung to superstition, believing ignorance could shield them from fear. Yet it was only through the painful pursuit of knowledge—through study of the body, of germs, of vaccines—that humanity overcame the plagues that once killed millions. Had mankind clung to ignorance, we would still be enslaved to death’s shadow. It was the light of knowledge, however costly, that brought freedom.

The lesson is clear: do not fear the forward march of discovery. Even when its truths unsettle, even when its burdens are heavy, walk boldly toward knowledge, for it is the only path that leads to growth. Ignorance may promise peace, but it is a false peace that crumbles at the first blow. Knowledge alone gives us the power to meet the world as it is and to shape it into what it might become.

So I say to you: embrace the discipline of learning. Seek truth, even when it is uncomfortable. Support discovery, even when it unsettles tradition. Teach your children to walk with open eyes, not closed ones, and to welcome the burden of knowledge as the price of wisdom. For as Fermi knew, it is no good to try to stop knowledge from going forward. Ignorance is never better than knowledge.

Thus shall his words endure as a commandment for all ages: walk toward truth, no matter how blinding, for only in its light will humanity find its way.