Wisdom on knowledge

In the ancient Chinese classics, there were some well know texts about how should one deal with his knowledge. In this post, two of the well-known verses are examined and reflected upon. Some lessons learnt will also be documented.


知之为知之，不知为不知，是知也。(论语·为政)


This is a well-known verse from the Confucius. It was documented in the Analects of Confucius (论语). Its English translation is as follows:


Acknowledge what you do know. Admit what you do not know. This is show that you have wisdom.

We must be honest to ourselves. If we brag about something that we do not know or have no knowledge in, it is likely that we will make a fool of ourselves.


Previously I was working as a salesman of a leading software product. On some occasions I was not adequately prepared for meeting with my prospects. When the prospect asked me to provide more details on how my product can help solve his problem. I did not know in details on how my products work but I was eager to progress the sales to the next stage. As a result I tried my best to address the prospect’s questions with some truth and my assumptions (which are not entirely truth). When this was done to some prospects who did their homework and research, I was caught in an extremely embarrassed situation. In some cases I was ridiculed as a salesman who did not know his own products.


I learned my lessons. It is OK to tell the prospects that I did not have the answer for him at that moment. However, you should assure them that that you would revert the matter to them. Most of them would appreciate your honesty and integrity.

不知而言，不智；知而不言，不忠。(韩非子·初见秦)

This text appeared in Han Feizi. The English translation of the verse is as follows:

It is unwise to talk about something that you do not know.
It is not being honest (or loyal) if you keep quiet about something that you know.


The first part of the phrase (不知而言，不智) advises us not to talk about things that we do not know. This is similar to the earlier texts from the Analects of
Confucius. Acknowledging one’s own shortcoming is a wise move and it takes courage to do so.


It is more difficult to practice the second part of the verse (知而不言，不忠). In the middle of conversion, you noticed that someone is saying something that is not true, what would you do? Do you:
* Point out his mistakes?
* Keep quite to maintain good relationship with the other party?


Most of us would choose the latter option. Accordingly to Han Feizi, doing so is not being truthful or honest to the relationship of both parties. Any mistake or erroneous information, if not corrected, will lead to more untruths, misunderstanding and even rumors in future. In the long run, it might harm the relationships of the parties involved.


This type of situation frequently occurred when we are in a discussion with our bosses or superiors. Sometimes they may say some things that are incorrect, we may be afraid to antagonize them and decide to remain silent instead of correcting the erroneous conversation. Subsequently when the mistakes are discovered, our boss might blame us for not offering the correct advise at the right time. Thus it is still unwise to remain silent when you are in a position to offer good advice.


However, we must be careful when we try to offer good advice or correct the mistakes of the other party. It must be done with the following guidelines:

* Avoid taking positions – otherwise it will evolve into an argument of you versus me;
* Offer advice or provide correct information in a diplomatic matter. Position it as an opportunities for good information exchange for mutual benefits, rather than pointing out the mistake of the other party;
* If possible, asked questions to lead the other party to see the light, rather than forcing you point down the throat of him.


Lessons Learned
* No body is perfect, it is OK to acknowledge your shortcoming;
* When someone asked you questions or asked for help, it is OK to tell them that you do not have all the answer off-hand. Some answer can be provided later, after you do some more homework.
* As a professional or subject matter expert (of some domains), it is unwise to remain silent when you are in a position to offer good advise or correct some erroneous information. This should be done spontaneously.
* When giving advice or correcting a misconception of others, it has to be done in a manner acceptable to the other party. Otherwise the effort will be counter-productive.

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This is a guest post by: Tan Heng Meng