“Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.”

What does it mean?

Studying facts without thinking about them is a waste of effort, but thinking without studying can lead you to dangerous mistakes. You need both.

Key vocabulary

labor lost

work that brings no result

perilous

dangerous

• “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”– Often attributed to Confucius
• “When you know a thing, to hold that you know it; and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it: this is knowledge.”– Confucius
• “By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.”– Often attributed to Confucius