The first step towards knowledge is to know that we are ignorant.

Hear, O seekers of wisdom and children of thought, the timeless words of Richard Cecil, a teacher of faith and reflection: “The first step towards knowledge is to know that we are ignorant.” These words, though simple in sound, are profound in meaning. They remind us that the gateway to all wisdom is humility — that before we may learn, we must first bow our heads before the vastness of the unknown. For it is not the abundance of what we know that defines us, but the honesty with which we recognize what we do not.

In every age, pride has been the great enemy of understanding. Men have built towers of thought, reaching toward the heavens, and in their arrogance declared themselves wise — yet their foundations were built on sand. Ignorance unacknowledged becomes blindness; ignorance admitted becomes light. To know that one knows nothing is to clear the clutter of illusion from the mind, to make space for truth to enter. The fool fills his cup with self-satisfaction until there is no room for wisdom; the wise empty theirs each day, knowing that learning never ends.

Richard Cecil, a preacher of the eighteenth century, spoke to a world awakening from old dogmas and discovering new worlds of thought. He saw how men grew intoxicated with their discoveries — in science, in philosophy, in power — yet forgot the humility that must guide true knowledge. He warned that the first act of wisdom is not proclamation, but confession. “I do not know,” he would say, “is the beginning of every revelation.” Just as a traveler must first admit he is lost before he can find his way, so too must the soul admit its ignorance before it can find the path to truth.

Consider the example of Socrates, the ancient philosopher who walked the streets of Athens questioning all. When the Oracle of Delphi proclaimed him the wisest of men, he was perplexed, for he claimed to know nothing. But therein lay his greatness. For while others claimed certainty, Socrates knew that wisdom begins with doubt. He listened, questioned, examined — and through this endless dialogue, he drew truth from the depths of human thought. He built no temples, commanded no armies, yet his knowledge outlived empires. Because he admitted his ignorance, his mind remained open — and through him, the world learned to think.

It is a cruel irony that the more one learns, the more one perceives how little one truly knows. The stars that guided sailors for millennia were once thought to be the edges of heaven; now we know they are suns scattered across the void — and yet, this deeper knowledge has only revealed a greater mystery. The universe, like wisdom itself, expands faster than our understanding. The humble mind does not despair at this, but rejoices. For to be ever-learning, ever-reaching, ever-awed — that is to live in harmony with truth.

O listeners, remember this sacred order: humility before mastery, silence before speech, emptiness before fullness. The wise man does not rush to teach; he first listens. He does not boast of what he knows, for he knows that all knowledge is but a drop in the ocean of the unknown. The proud build walls of certainty around themselves, but the humble build doors that open toward enlightenment. To admit ignorance is not weakness, but strength — for only those who are honest with themselves may grow beyond themselves.

So take this teaching into your heart, O children of the dawn: be ever learners, never masters. When you encounter something new, do not pretend to know; instead, ask, “What can this teach me?” Let curiosity be your compass, and humility your anchor. Seek mentors, listen to others, and observe the quiet lessons of life that no book can teach. Each day, empty your mind of pride so that it may be filled anew with understanding. For the river of knowledge flows only through the valleys of humility — never through the mountains of arrogance.

Thus, the words of Richard Cecil endure through centuries: “The first step towards knowledge is to know that we are ignorant.” Take that first step each day, and you will never cease to grow. For wisdom is not a destination but a journey — and the traveler who knows he walks in darkness is closer to the light than the one who believes he already stands in it. Walk humbly, learn deeply, and let your ignorance be the soil from which your knowledge blooms eternal.