'The things we know best are the things we haven't been taught.' - Marquis de Vauvenargues. True?

Answer 1

Instinct, first hand experience, second hand experience, being taught are some of the ways we know things.

I think instinct is the best, some of us who are really in touch with ourselves just know, feel things. When my gut tells me something apart from 'I'm hungry', I tend to follow.

First hand experience is the second best; although it is important to review things, and know that we cannot generalise.

Second hand experience in the sense that you witness something happening is slightly better than being taught because what we see and remember things that might not be told is an observer tells us what happened.

However, that does not mean that being taught is all that bad. In fact all depends on what we do with what we are taught. If we just accept it, then the value is the lowest of the alternatives above, but if we think about it, and explore the possibilities, internalise the teachings, then they can be as good as first hand experience.

I'd agree to the statement in the case of non-thinking beings, but the power of thought can make a difference by enhancing the value of things we are taught.

Answer 2

An interesting thought that.
Personally I would change it round slightly and say, "the more we know the less we understand"

Basically meaning sometimes being ignorant towards something is the only way that you can actually look at it constructively as there is no vested interest in it and no bias can come from it.

Although I suppose it could also be read as, "the things we know best are the things that we learn ourselves"
The problem with that though is when you think about it you can not ever actually learn something for yourself.
You see when you learn something, it might be from reading a book or seeing something happen or something someone else does and although on face value that appears you have learnt it yourself, in a round about way someone else has taught you it because you have learned it indirectly from them.

Answer 3

I believe it is...because you learn from first hand experience. The things that someone taught me to do, I'm doing it their way. Their way might work, but I'm not sure that it works best because I haven't developed it by being in the situation under pressure/stress.

The lessons that I've learned because I didn't know it at first are definitely known better to me than any other I've learned from second, third hand experience.

Answer 4

If you mean as a philosophy, in the sense of what you work for you own, and what you learn yourself you go into with an open mind then I suppose so.
But if you mean in the sense that you can know about a thing without needing any experience or knowledge or teaching at all, by relying just on opinion, then no.

Answer 5

The things we haven't been taught are the things that we instinctively know to be true. In my opinion, if you follow your insticts, you can't go far wrong so perhaps that is what we know best. It's up to the individual whether or not they trust themselves enough to believe in their insticts

Answer 6

Yes! Voltaire when examining human reflexes wrote a poem about it, which I will quote.
'Mary had a little lamb
its two front teeth were bent
So everywhere that Mary goed
Her lamb was sure to went'
This he said was "a masterpiece of a poem written by someone who had not been teached grammar."
Mind you Voltaire knew nothing about Elephants, Oranges, Grapes or Barrels.
Voltaire also liked small boys

Answer 7

does that mean that the things we have been taught we never really know because weve only been taught them ....like the whole god and man thing...you cant think of what god is because are minds are so poor compared to him it would be an insult and a sin so we cant think of what he is only what he isnt???
Like that thing were are minds are never good enough so we never really get taught anything because are minds are basically crap......i dunno y'know.....i really dont know....do you know...is it true?

Answer 8

I would have to agree if the teaching was only giving the idea.
Actual experience commits the knowledge to memory far better...

Answer 9

I guess it could be put into other words, meaning the same thing.. "Bought Witt's Are Better Than Borrowed Witt's."

Answer 10

self experience is the secret to true development of ones self. to be taught you have to take for granted what you are being told is true. if you experience it yourself you know its true.......so yes is the answer to your question.