proverb · Words worth keeping
Where honour ceaseth, there knowledge decreaseth.
Where honour ceaseth, there knowledge decreaseth.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
When worthwhile learning loses respect, people may have less reason or opportunity to pursue it. The saying connects recognition with the conditions that sustain knowledge.
Example
A group recognises careful research as well as confident presentations so that patient investigation is not overlooked.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Honour is presented as a support for knowledge: when it ends, knowledge diminishes. This can prompt attention to whether a community values careful inquiry and those who contribute to it. Respect need not mean uncritical deference to a title or institution. Learning can continue without public acclaim, and prestigious work can be mistaken. The useful reading concerns the encouragement and conditions for inquiry, rather than a rule that status proves truth.
When to use it
Use it to discuss how a community encourages serious learning.
Keep in mind
Prestige does not establish truth, and learning can flourish outside recognised institutions.
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
- English