Speak the truth, do not yield to anger; give, if thou art asked for little; by these three steps thou wilt go near the gods.
ConfuciusRead
Therefore only through education does one come to be dissatisfied with his own knowledge, and only through teaching others does one come to realize the uncomfortable inadequacy of his knowledge. Being dissatisfied with his own knowledge, one then realizes that the trouble lies with himself, and realizing the uncomfortable inadequacy of his knowledger.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Education leads to self-awareness and growth, while teaching highlights our own knowledge gaps.
This quote by Confucius emphasizes the importance of education as a catalyst for personal dissatisfaction with one's knowledge, prompting a continuous quest for improvement. Furthermore, by teaching others, we confront the limitations of our own understanding, which ultimately encourages self-reflection and growth in our learning journey.
Themes
EducationKnowledgeSelf-AwarenessTeachingGrowth
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of lifelong learning and self-improvement.
More from Confucius
All quotes →Earnest in practicing the ordinary virtues, and careful in speaking about them, if, in his practice, he has anything defective, the superior man dares not but exert himself; and if, in his words, he has any excess, he dares not allow himself such license.
ConfuciusRead
When you see a good person, think of becoming like her/him. When you see someone not so good, reflect on your own weak points.
ConfuciusRead
Never give a sword to a man who can't dance.
ConfuciusRead
The superior man is distressed by the limitations of his ability; he is not distressed by the fact that men do not recognize the ability that he has.
ConfuciusRead
Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.
ConfuciusRead
Similar quotes
Learn the basics of analytics and people will love you. If you don't have time to learn, hire someone.
W. Edwards DemingRead
It takes a great deal of living to get a little deal of learning.
John RuskinRead
I used to take formal notes in lines of blue, and underline the key words in red, and I realised I needed only the key words and the idea. Then to bring in connections, I drew arrows and put in images and codes. It was a picture outside my head of what was inside my head - 'mind map' is the language my brain spoke.
Tony BuzanRead
A child, from the time he can think, should think about all he sees, should suffer for all who cannot live with honesty, should work so that all men can be honest, and should be honest himself.
Jose MartiRead
You only learn when you give your whole being to something. When you give your whole being to mathematics,you learn; but when you are in a state of contradiction, when you do not want to learn but are forced to learn, then it becomes merely a process of accumulation. To learn is like reading a novel with innumerable characters; it requires your full attention, not contradictory attention.
Jiddu KrishnamurtiRead
When you're young, you keep reading new writers and you keep changing your mind about how you ought to sound.
Paul AusterRead