Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is…

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Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is… — Confucius · Smartyfair

Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.

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In plain words

Facts without thinking are wasted. Thinking without facts is risky.

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How sure this is: 92% sureThese words were traced back to where they first appeared. That source is listed below.
What turned up: Analects, Book II, Chapter XV; Wikiquote sourced thematic citation (also appears on Confucius's own Wikiquote page).
Sources checked: en.wikiquote.orgChecked using claude-sonnet-5, 20 August 2026Sourced Confucius entry citing Analects II.15
gutenberg.orgChecked using claude-fable-5, 21 August 2026Analects II.15, James Legge translation — verbatim on Project Gutenberg except Legge's British spelling 'labour' (ours is Americanized 'labor')