283Japanese proverb ことわざ
学びて思わざれば則ち罔し
まなびておもわざればすなわちくらしManabite omowazareba sunawachi kurashi
“Learning without thinking leads only to darkness.”
The meaning
Piling up knowledge without thinking it does not make one clearer — the sequel adds that thinking without learning is perilous. Study and reflection hold each other up.
At the origin
A saying from the Analects of Confucius, a pillar of classical Japanese education.
The characters
In practice
After each reading, close the book and think ten minutes without it.
Editorial note
Classical Chinese origin (Analects of Confucius).
Themes
Similar proverbs
- 151 学問に王道なし There is no royal road to learning.
- 009 思い立ったが吉日 The best day to begin is the day you think of it.
- 199 身を浅く思い、世を深く思う Think lightly of yourself, think deeply of the world.
- 003 千里の道も一歩から A journey of a thousand leagues begins with a single step.
- 012 失敗は成功のもと Failure is the foundation of success.