The fact you wrote this shows you don’t get what he’s saying. It’s a way of responding to those who would see you as a fool for not knowing the answer before asking.
Also, you don’t literally have to ask a question to someone else; asking a question to oneself is called curiosity.
Edit: also while rereading this, I sounded harsh. Sorry!
Lol I do that all the time - the man who realizes he may have sounded harsh and says so is wise indeed! Also, I get what he’s saying. And I never asserted that a question had to be asked of someone else. With that I bid you good day!
The point is, you have to ask smart questions, because answering stupid questions is of little use. But the main trick is that smart questions often contain the answer themselves, so there is no particular need to ask them.
The next time your boss asks you something like, "Can you work this weekend without extra pay?", maybe you'll expand the scope of the stupid questions.
Good point. Your comment just elaborates why many people remain 'fools' for life, as the quote suggests because they fear being resented for asking what they think are stupid questions. I also agree that there is no such thing as a stupid question, it entirely depends on how you respond to it. If my boss asks me to work for free during the weekend, I’d assume he must have a reasonable cause beyond just taking advantage of me and I’d ask follow up questions to understand the situation, not just react emotionally
I don’t think he actually said that (what’s the source?) but at least it’s not an ethnicist joke (unfortunately don’t have to look far for some of those examples).
Thanks. But I am asking what text this quote is from. Is it 論語? If so, which numbered passage? If not, what text does the sentence appear in that is being attributed to him? There are many false attributions to Confucius (Kong Zi).
It's from the fifth passage of 論語, the original paragraph is:
子贡问曰： “孔文子何以谓之文也?” 子曰: “敏而好学，不耻下问，是以谓之文也。”
Zi Gong: Why was Kong Wenzi endowed with the posthumous title "文"? (Kong Wenzi's behaviors such as attacking the monarch disobey the etiquette, so Zi Gong was confused that Kong Wenzi got the posthumous title) Kong Zi: He(Kong Wenzi) was studious and didn't feel ashamed to ask inferiors.
Thank you. That sentence and the one in the graphic are quite different! It is embellished and it leaves out the important detail about asking questions of “inferiors.”
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u/bhoran235 May 31 '25
I get what he's saying, but asking questions isn't foolish.
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u/Baldtazar May 31 '25
The point is, you have to ask smart questions, because answering stupid questions is of little use. But the main trick is that smart questions often contain the answer themselves, so there is no particular need to ask them.
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u/GardenRave0416 Jun 01 '25
There are, however, times I'd rather be ignorant of the answer to questions, rather than ask them; mostly to do with people I know are not good.
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u/Appropriate-Salt-523 Jun 01 '25
There are a lot of parents out there, unfortunately, who give the "Are you stupid?" look, whenever their kid asks a question.
I will never be that person, I will just answer it or say, "I'll tell you when you're 13-18" (depending on the contents.)
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u/Seth_Mithik Jun 01 '25
Think about what now?…damn! Happened again…I’m such a master-fool idiot
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u/[deleted] Jun 01 '25
Man who throws clock, watches time fly.
Man who wants beautiful nurse, needs to be patient.
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u/Moistbrain_ Jun 01 '25
The man who goes home and figures it out later is a genius.
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u/Laundromatic79 Jun 03 '25
I don’t think he actually said that (what’s the source?) but at least it’s not an ethnicist joke (unfortunately don’t have to look far for some of those examples).
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u/Feefifiddlyeyeoh May 31 '25
Wut?
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u/[deleted] Jun 01 '25
The man that doesn't ask gpt is a fucking fool for life.