Biết thời làm biết

Definition

1. Idiom (Thành ngữ):
   • To know what one knows and to know what one does not know: This idiom expresses the wisdom of being aware of the limits of one's own knowledge. It means to clearly recognize and acknowledge what you truly understand and to honestly admit what you do not understand.

Usage Examples

• Idiom:
  • Một nhà khoa học giỏi phải biết thời làm biết. (A good scientist must know what they know and know what they do not know.)
  • Trong buổi phỏng vấn, anh ấy đã thể hiện tinh thần "biết thời làm biết" khi thẳng thắn nói về lĩnh vực mình chưa am hiểu. (In the interview, he demonstrated the spirit of "knowing what one knows" when he frankly discussed areas he was not proficient in.)

Advanced Usage

• This idiom is often used to praise intellectual humility, honesty, and self-awareness. It is considered a foundational principle for genuine learning and wisdom, discouraging pretense or bluffing about one's knowledge.

Origin and Context

• The phrase originates from a classical Chinese text, (Luận Ngữ). Confucius said: "You, shall I teach you what knowledge is? 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." The Vietnamese idiom is a direct paraphrase of this teaching.

Related Concepts

• Khiêm tốn trong học thức (Intellectual humility): A key virtue related to this idiom.
• Thành thực với bản thân (To be honest with oneself): The personal honesty it requires.

Synonyms

• Know the limits of your knowledge: A near-equivalent English phrase.
• Intellectual honesty: The quality this idiom describes.