proverb · Words worth keeping
From a child and a crazy person you learn the truth.
From a child and a crazy person you learn the truth.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A child and a person labelled crazy supplying truth contrasts unguarded speech with conventional restraint. The saying uses a demeaning label to imagine candour.
Example
Someone takes an unexpected observation seriously and checks its evidence rather than judging it by the speaker’s label.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
A critical reading rejects a diagnosis or truthfulness judgment from the label. Children and adults can be accurate or mistaken, and unusual communication does not automatically reveal hidden truth. A useful application listens respectfully and checks claims without treating a speaker’s age or presumed mental condition as proof.
When to use it
Use it critically for openness to observations, with dignity and evidence retained.
Keep in mind
No clinical category or guaranteed truth from age or a demeaning label is established.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
Greece
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin.- Historical period
- Date unknown
- Culture
- Greece