Preconceived notions are the locks on the door to wisdom.

The aphorism warns that fixed assumptions—ideas accepted in advance of evidence—can prevent genuine learning. By likening preconceived notions to “locks,” it suggests that wisdom is not merely the accumulation of facts but an openness of mind: the capacity to revise beliefs, listen, and encounter reality without forcing it into familiar categories. The “door” metaphor implies wisdom is accessible, but only if we remove the barriers we ourselves install. In practice, the quote advocates intellectual humility and curiosity, urging readers to treat certainty with suspicion and to approach new experiences, people, and arguments as opportunities to be changed rather than confirmed.