Q0202
“Teach your tongue to say, “I do not know.”” — Talmudic tradition (Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot 4a)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot 4a. Theme: humility.
English
Teach your tongue to say, “I do not know.”
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot 4a and files it under Rabbinic Judaism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Talmudic tradition
Talmudic tradition appears in this archive through verified English quotations associated with the Rabbinic Judaism tradition. Biographical certainty varies by figure and text; where the “author” is a scripture or school anthology, read the name as a traditional attribution rather than a modern individual biography.
How to read this passage
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Confucius and Kwame Anthony Appiah), humility is framed through Stoicism and Confucianism. Some passages define humility; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through humility, inquiry.
Concepts in this quote
- Humility
- Humility appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat humility as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Inquiry
- Inquiry is the disciplined pursuit of better questions and answers—philosophy as method rather than dogma.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Talmudic tradition. (n.d.). Teach your tongue to say, “I do not know.” In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0202
MLA: Talmudic tradition. “Teach your tongue to say, “I do not….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0202.
Chicago: Talmudic tradition. “Teach your tongue to say, “I do not….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0202.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Teach your tongue to say, “I do not…”?
The passage is attributed to Talmudic tradition, Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot 4a. The archive attributes this English wording to Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot 4a and files it under Rabbinic Judaism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Talmudic tradition mean by humility?
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Confucius and Kwame Anthony Appiah), humility is framed through Stoicism and Confucianism. Some passages define humility; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through humility, inquiry.