She was heartily ashamed of her ignorance - a misplaced shame. Where people wish to attach, they should always be ignorant. To come with a well−informed mind is to come with an inability of administering to the vanity of others, which a sensible person would always wish to avoid. A woman especially, if she have the misfortune of knowing anything, should conceal it as well as she can. Jane Austen
About This Quote

When Jane Austen says, “She was heartily ashamed of her ignorance – a misplaced shame,” she is saying that we should be embarrassed by our lack of knowledge or intelligence. The idea is that people don’t want people to know what they know and know how much they know. If we show our intelligence, we may be seen as arrogant and actually be put down because of it. However, this is not the case. We should still be proud of our work and accomplishments and have pride in our intelligence.

Source: Northanger Abbey

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More Quotes By Jane Austen
  1. There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.

  2. A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment.

  3. In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.

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