We have all done it. Someone explains something, you do not quite follow, and you nod anyway. The moment to ask comes and goes, because asking would mean admitting you did not understand, and that feels embarrassing. So you stay quiet. The trouble is that the gap in your knowledge does not go away. It just waits there, quietly, ready to trip you up later. This old Japanese proverb saw that trap centuries ago and gave it a perfect summary. A question costs you one awkward moment. Silence can cost you for the rest of your life.
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