- English translation
Asked how to spot an empty-headed man, he answered, 'Listen to him talk.' Asked how to spot a tiresome one, he answered, 'Listen to what he asks.'
- Literal wording
They said: By what do you know the shallow one? He said: By his talk. And they said: By what do you know the tiresome one? He said: By his questions.
- Meaning and lesson
A person's own words expose the quality of his mind. Someone of little substance or worth, not merely someone who jokes or speaks lightly, needs no outside judge, because whatever he says reveals how little lies behind it. Speech works here as an involuntary self-portrait.
In the same way, the tiresome person, one whose company feels burdensome, shows himself through his questions. He probes into affairs that are none of his business. The saying targets such intrusion, not ordinary curiosity or honest inquiry, and suggests that character becomes visible in everyday conversation.
- When it is used
Suited to remarks about character judged through behavior, such as dismissing an empty talker or someone who keeps prying into others' affairs. It sounds pointed and can wound if aimed directly at a person, so it fits commentary or wry asides better than face-to-face criticism.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: Asked how to spot an empty-headed man, he answered, 'Listen to him talk.' Asked how to spot a tiresome one, he answered, 'Listen to what he asks.'