Know what you know. Admit what you don't. That is knowing.

What it means

Real knowledge includes an honest map of where it stops. Saying 'I don't know' is part of knowing, not a failure of it. Before you argue, sort what you have checked from what you have only heard.

The source

"Know what you know. Admit what you don't. That is knowing." Confucius said it in Analects 2.17. Translated from the original Chinese by Spartan Surfers.

"知之爲知之，不知爲不知，是知也。"

Original Chinese, Analects 2.17. Text read at zh.wikisource.org.

Who said it

Confucius (551-479 BC). Teacher from the state of Lu whose conversations, collected by his students as the Analects, shaped two thousand years of Chinese ethics. He taught that character is built through learning, ritual and honest self-examination.

Questions

What does "Know what you know. Admit what you don't. That is knowing." mean?

Real knowledge includes an honest map of where it stops. Saying 'I don't know' is part of knowing, not a failure of it. Before you argue, sort what you have checked from what you have only heard.

Who said "Know what you know. Admit what you don't. That is knowing."?

Confucius (551-479 BC). Source: Analects 2.17.

What is the original Chinese?

知之爲知之，不知爲不知，是知也。. Translated from the original Chinese by Spartan Surfers.

Is "Know what you know. Admit what you don't. That is knowing." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"Know what you know. Admit what you don't. That is knowing." (Confucius, Analects 2.17, translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/know-what-you-know-admit-what-you-dont