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He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask remains a fool forever

Meaning: Admitting ignorance and seeking knowledge is always wiser than pretending to understand.

Origin: Chinese proverb rooted in Confucian respect for learning and intellectual humility.

Translations

  • French: Celui qui pose une question est un imbécile cinq minutes ; celui qui ne pose pas en reste un pour toujours (literally: He who asks is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask remains a fool forever)
  • Spanish: Quien hace una pregunta es tonto por cinco minutos; quien no la hace lo es para siempre (literally: He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who doesn't remains a fool forever)
  • Japanese: 質問をする者は五分間の馬鹿、質問しない者は永遠の馬鹿 (Shitsumon wo suru mono wa gofunkan no baka, shitsumon shinai mono wa eien no baka) (literally: He who asks is a fool for five minutes; he who doesn't remains a fool forever)

More proverbs about Wisdom

  • Do not look where you fell, but where you slipped — Focus on the root cause of a problem rather than just its consequence.
  • He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything — Good health is the foundation upon which all other good things in life are built.
  • Water finds its own level — People and things naturally settle into their proper place over time.
  • The moon is not shamed by the barking of dogs — Those with true integrity remain unaffected by baseless criticism or petty noise.
  • The more you know, the more you realize you don't know — True knowledge reveals the vastness of what remains to be learned.
  • The greatest wealth is health — Good health is more valuable than any material possession or social status.

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