proverb · Words worth keeping
Little knowledge generates great pride; the wise are quiet.
Little knowledge generates great pride; the wise are quiet.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Little knowledge linked with great pride contrasts limited understanding with quiet wisdom. The saying questions confidence that exceeds what a person knows.
Example
A reader asks what supports a confident claim instead of judging expertise from the speaker’s volume.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The useful distinction is between supported understanding and inflated certainty, not between loud and quiet personalities. A quiet person can be mistaken and a knowledgeable person can speak forcefully. Assess the actual evidence while making space for questions and correction.
When to use it
Use it to examine confidence in relation to evidence.
Keep in mind
Silence and pride do not reliably measure a person’s knowledge.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown
- Culture
- Tibet Province of China