Ambiguity-resolving trick: if phrases can be interpreted as parallel, they probably are.
Recognizing that “knows not how to know” parallels with “knows not also how to unknow,” or more simply “how to know” || “how to unknow”, makes the aphorism much easier to parse.
“Indeed he knows not how to know who knows not also how to unknow.” Sir Richard Francis Burton.
That was astonishingly difficult to parse. It’s a good sentiment, though.
I also found it hard. For the benefit of the next person, here is a rewritten version:
Or, passing to the contrapositive,
Or,
My first attempt was
Meaning
Now my brain doesn’t recognize “know” as a word …
Ambiguity-resolving trick: if phrases can be interpreted as parallel, they probably are.
Recognizing that “knows not how to know” parallels with “knows not also how to unknow,” or more simply “how to know” || “how to unknow”, makes the aphorism much easier to parse.