“What I hear, I forget. What I say, I remember. What I do, I understand.”

— Laozi

This quotation has also been misattributed to Confucius.
Tell me and I [will] forget. Show me and I [will] remember. Involve me and I [will] understand.
不聞不若聞之，聞之不若見之，見之不若知之，知之不若行之；學至於行之而止矣
From Xun Zi 荀子
Misattributed

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update Oct. 1, 2023. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "What I hear, I forget. What I say, I remember. What I do, I understand." by Laozi?

Laozi 79

semi-legendary Chinese figure, attributed to the 6th centur… -604

Related quotes

“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”

Confucius (-551–-479 BC) Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher

Xunzi in the Xunzi (book)
Misattributed, Chinese

“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”

- Chinese proverb”

Alvin Toffler (1928–2016) American writer

“I and my public understand each other very well: it does not hear what I say, and I don't say what it wants to hear.”

Karl Kraus (1874–1936) Czech playwright and publicist

Half-Truths and One-And-A-Half Truths (1976)

“The elite are the men of religion, political leaders, media and press people, and teachers. Everyone can understand the truth and know what is right. These have the responsibility of showing this right and truth to the people. They should not remain silent…. It is the responsibility of people to look for right and truth. As they hear me now, they should not accept everything I say. Even the masses of Hezbollah and the resistance should not do so…. Forget what my faith is and what yours is. Hear what I say and see what I do and hear what others say and see what they do, and then decide.”

Hassan Nasrallah (1960) Secretary General of Hezbollah

Interview with Al-Manar television (31 October 2006)
Quote, 2006

“What I believe is not what I say I believe; what I believe is what I do.”

Donald Miller book Blue Like Jazz: nonreligious thoughts on Christian spirituality

Blue Like Jazz (2003, Nelson Books)

“What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) American philosopher, essayist, and poet

Variant: Your actions speak so loudly, I can not hear what you are saying.

“Why do I hear what I can't see?
Why do I fear what I can be?
I feel the field of battle within my life! I hear the calvalry of light!”

Becky Stark (1976) American singer

You Broke My Heart, One Day Like Rain video (2007) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbuzXRGXCpY - live performance Siren Festival (2007) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpgz-roS08w
Cavalry of Light (2005)
Context: Why do I hear what I can't see?
Why do I fear what I can be?
I feel the field of battle within my life! I hear the calvalry of light!
I see the sound of endless sight!
I feel the field of battle within my life! It was a life that had no end
A time of love with you, my friend
Begin the age of love you know about!

“A European says: I can't understand this, what's wrong with me? An American says: I can't understand this, what's wrong with him?”

Terry Pratchett (1948–2015) English author

Interview, quoted in "Words from the Master" http://www.co.uk.lspace.org/books/apf/words-from-the-master.html in The Annotated Pratchett File http://www.co.uk.lspace.org/books/apf/index.html
General sources
Context: As for The Mapp... I suspect it'll never get a US publication. It seemed to frighten US publishers. They don't seem to understand it.
That seems to point up a significant difference between Europeans and Americans:
A European says: I can't understand this, what's wrong with me? An American says: I can't understand this, what's wrong with him?
I make no suggestion that one side or the other is right, but observation over many years leads me to believe it is true.

“I do remember, and then when I try to remember, I forget.”

A.A. Milne (1882–1956) British author

“I'm a strange person. Sometimes I hardly know what I'm going to do or say next. Sometimes I seem a stranger to myself. Sometimes what I do surprises me and I can't understand why I do it.”

Philip K. Dick book Solar Lottery

Solar Lottery (1955)

“What I hear, I forget. What I say, I remember. What I do, I understand.”

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Laozi 79

Related quotes

Related topics