Donald Rumsfeld, Department of Defense news briefing, 12 February 2002.
“
As we know, There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know, there are known unknowns, that is to say, we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns, the ones we do not know we do not know.
— Donald Rumsfeld on Knowledge
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "As we know, There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know, there are known unknowns, that is to say, we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns, the ones we do not know we do not know." in the context of "Donald Rumsfeld, Department of Defense news briefing, 12 February 2002." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Knowledge" (Contemporary quotes, 21st century)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Rumsfeld (9 July 1932 – 29 June 2021) was the 21st United States Secretary of Defense, serving from 2001 to 2006, succeeded by Robert Gates. He also served as the 13th Defense Secretary in 1975–1977 under President Ford, and in other roles under various presidents.
About Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Rumsfeld (9 July 1932 – 29 June 2021) was the 21st United States Secretary of Defense, serving from 2001 to 2006, succeeded by Robert Gates. He also served as the 13th Defense Secretary in 1975–1977 under President Ford, and in other roles under various presidents.
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