Ignorance Quotes
My mother said I must always be intolerant of ignorance but understanding of illiteracy.
"My mother said I must always be intolerant of ignorance but understanding of illiteracy."— Maya Angelou
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Meaning of this quote
Being unable to read is different from being unwilling to learn or understand. The remembered advice asks readers to respect intelligence and experience in people who lacked access to formal schooling.
Key takeaway:
Respect a person's intelligence beyond their literacy or credentials.
Origin of the quote
Reproduced by the official Maya Angelou social account as something Angelou recalled her mother saying. An original interview, book passage, or date of the recollection was not established.
Who actually said this?
Commonly attributedOfficial-account reuse supports the association with Angelou, but is not a first-use source. The sentence reports her mother's advice; do not treat it as a statement that literacy measures intelligence.
