知病 · 知不知尚矣
Zhī Bìng
Classical Chinese Text
知不知，尚矣；不知知，病也。圣人不病，以其病病。夫唯病病，是以不病。
Translation & Meaning
清醒地知道自己還有所不知，這是最高明的認知；明明不知卻自以為全知、強不知以為知，這便是認知上的大毛病。 正因為能夠把這種妄自尊大的認知偏盲當作病患來警惕，所以才不會犯這種毛病。 聖人之所以沒有妄知偏執之病，正是因為他深切警惕並痛戒這一毛病；唯其時刻警醒自省，所以終身清明無病。
Linguistic & Character Analysis
- 知 (zhī): know / distinguish / recognize
- 不 (bù): not / un- / without
- 尚 (shàng): classical character (shàng)
- 矣 (yǐ): [modal particle of realization]
- 病 (bìng): classical character (bìng)
- 也 (yě): [modal particle of assertion]
- 圣 (shèng): sage / enlightened one
- 人 (rén): person / human
- 以 (yǐ): in order to / by means of
- 其 (qí): its / their / his / her
- 夫 (fū): for / indeed / now
- 唯 (wéi): only / precisely because
- 是 (shì): this / therefore
Commentary
青禾散人評注：與蘇格拉底「自知其無知」遙相呼應。人類最大的盲點從不是無知，而是「不知知」的傲慢幻覺；保持敬畏謙虛，心智方常保清健。