Education · FORTUNE
Fortune #26
Mixed — reflect carefully
Fear of being wrong can keep a useful question hidden. Try an answer where mistakes are safe, such as practice with a friend, and examine the reasoning together before the real test.
QUOTE CARD
A quote for you
“มีสิ่งที่ดีเพียงอย่างเดียวคือความรู้ และมีสิ่งชั่วร้ายเพียงอย่างเดียวคือความไม่รู้”
— โสเครตีส
นักปรัชญากรีกโบราณ ผู้มีอิทธิพลต่อจริยศาสตร์ตะวันตกผ่านงานบันทึกของเพลโต
- Person
- Socrates
- Source work
- Variant: The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance.
- Source text
- There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance.
STORY & REFLECTION
The Child Who Answered Anyway
King Henry and a child · a published anecdote
In a published anecdote, King Henry of France travels without announcing who he is. He asks a child whether the child knows which person is the king.
The child notices that only he and the stranger still have their hats on. He answers that the king must be one of them. He does not claim complete certainty; he uses what he can observe.
Fear of a wrong answer can keep partial reasoning hidden. In practice, an attempt lets that reasoning be checked and improved. You need not pretend certainty to be allowed to try.
Answer one question with “I think this because...” Then ask a teacher or friend to check the reason. An error can become information rather than shame.
Reflection
A low-stakes attempt teaches more than silence.
A small action today
Attempt one question and review the reasoning, not only the score.
A question to reflect on
Which question would you try if being wrong felt safe?