proverb · Legacy record
The wise man says what he knows; the fool does not know what he is saying.
The wise man says what he knows; the fool does not know what he is saying.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Knowing what one says distinguished from speaking without understanding values an accountable relation between words and knowledge. The saying contrasts considered speech with unsupported utterance.
What the words are saying
A responsible reading does not give people fixed wise or foolish identities. A useful application asks what supports the statement and whether uncertainty is acknowledged. Someone can speak usefully about a question they do not yet understand completely if they make the limits clear.
Everyday example
A speaker distinguishes evidence from speculation instead of presenting an uncertain explanation as settled fact.
When to use it
Use it to connect speech with evidence and acknowledged limits.
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What it does not mean
No permanent intelligence ranking or requirement of complete certainty before speaking follows.
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
- Not established
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 517; PDF page 48; collection label: Ottoman Empire/Turkey
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- Ottoman Empire/Turkey