To be ignorant of one's ignorance is the malady of the ignorant.

The line draws a sharp distinction between simple lack of knowledge and the deeper failure to recognize that lack. Alcott treats ignorance as curable through inquiry, but “ignorance of one’s ignorance” as a self-sealing condition: it prevents the curiosity, doubt, and teachability that make learning possible. Calling it a “malady” frames the problem as not merely intellectual but moral and psychological—an ailment that distorts judgment and fosters arrogance. The aphorism echoes the Socratic ideal that wisdom begins in acknowledging what one does not know, suggesting that genuine education requires humility and continual self-examination.