Haile Selassie I quotes
1892 – 1975 · Ethiopia, 20th century · Emperor, statesman and religious figure
About Haile Selassie I
Born Lij Tafari Makonnen in 1892 at Ejersa Goro, he was crowned Haile Selassie I in Addis Ababa in 1930. Exiled during Italy’s occupation (1936–1941), he pursued administrative modernization, issued constitutions (1931, 1955), and helped found the Organization of African Unity (1963). Deposed by the Derg in 1974, he died in Addis Ababa in 1975; the circumstances of his death are disputed.
Works: 1931 Constitution of Ethiopia; Address to the League of Nations (1936); 1955 Revised Constitution
Quotes
“A man who says I have learned enough and will learn no further should be considered as knowing nothing at all.”
Source: Important Utterances of H. I. M. Emperor Haile Selassie I, 1963–1972, 1972 · Check the source
Disputed attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The wording is reproduced in the 1972 compilation Important Utterances of H. I. M. Emperor Haile Selassie I, 1963–1972, but the original speech, language, date, and passage context are not documented.
- What remains uncertain
- Attribution is disputed: available evidence doesn't confirm a primary source and the English wording may be an editorial rendering rather than Selassie's verbatim words.
The line champions epistemic humility: claiming you will learn no more signals genuine ignorance. It fits Haile Selassie’s public emphasis on education and modernization, but the exact wording appears in a 1972 English anthology and lacks a verified original speech, date, or language.