Get Your Facts Right Please!

There is a Simpulan Bahasa I learnt in my primary school days known as Tin Kosong. To those who are not familiar with this saying, it means a person who talks a lot but is not knowledgeable (Orang yang banyak cakap tetapi tidak berilmu). There is also a common saying in Cantonese, 识少少扮代表, which means the same thing.

There are actually four grades to classify an individual's understanding of his/her own knowledge:

1. Knowing what he/she knows
2. Knowing what he/she does not know
3. Not knowing what he/she knows
4. Not knowing what he/she does not know

 Grade 3 and 4 literally demonstrates the understanding of a person described as Tin Kosong or 识少少扮代表. As humans, it is normal to experience all grades depending on aptitude to various fields but it is definitely unnecessary to "publicize" them.

Many people tend to maintain a low profile when they are not confident in their understanding. However overconfidence in one's misunderstanding could also lead to elaborated expression of Tin Kosong-ness, which has the aim of influencing others. A very common expression of Tin Kosong-ness is by inserting bits and pieces of uncategorized information into a simple analysis to arrive at a wrong conclusion.

"Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self control to be understanding and forgiving"

Dale Carnegie (1888-1955)

American Writer and Lecturer

lalanandaFRY
6/9/10