proverb · Legacy record
He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.
He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Asking a question is contrasted with remaining uninformed through silence. The saying treats brief embarrassment as preferable to an enduring gap in understanding.
What the words are saying
Five minutes and forever exaggerate the contrast rather than measure learning. A responsible reading makes questions welcome without calling learners fools. Silence can also reflect an unsafe setting or inaccessible instruction, so responsibility is shared with those teaching.
Everyday example
A tutor invites a hesitant learner’s question and answers without ridicule.
When to use it
Use this as an editorial reading of the source image, with its stated limits retained.
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What it does not mean
The stated durations are rhetorical, and difficulty asking is not a character fault.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
China
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin.- Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference (2014 AD)
Supplied reference B; unit 306; PDF page 32; collection label: China
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- China