What separates the merely humble from the truly wise is recognizing that ignorance isn't shameful—it's the proper condition of an honest mind. Most people mistake this for false modesty, but Voltaire's point cuts deeper: the wise person doesn't just admit gaps in knowledge as a polite gesture; he reorganizes his entire intellectual life around that admission, which means he questions what everyone else accepts without thinking. A doctor who understands the limits of medical science makes better decisions than one brimming with false certainty, because she asks the right questions rather than defending answers she's already committed to. The real difference this makes is in how we listen to people who disagree with us—not as opponents to vanquish, but as fellow travelers who might know something we've missed.