--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What you understand, you know; and what…" description: "\"What you understand, you know; and what you know, you don't forget.\" — Michel Thomas" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e7/michel-thomas-72322_forget_what-you-understand-you-know-and-what-yo_2498732.jpg" --- # What you understand, you know; and what you know, you… ![“What you understand, you know; and what you know, you don't forget.” quote by Michel Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e7/michel-thomas-72322_forget_what-you-understand-you-know-and-what-yo_2498732.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e7/michel-thomas-72322_forget_what-you-understand-you-know-and-what-yo_2498732.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e7/michel-thomas-72322_forget_what-you-understand-you-know-and-what-yo_2498732.jpg) > “What you understand, you know; and what you know, you don't forget.” [Michel Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-thomas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding solidifies knowledge, while forgetting occurs when you fail to truly comprehend. **In simple terms:** True understanding sticks; superficial knowledge fades. Key Takeaway Seek deep comprehension, not just memorization. Themes learning memory comprehension Mood reflective inquisitive Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - studying - teaching - skill acquisition - language learning Key Concepts cognitive psychology knowledge retention Questions to Reflect On - Do you truly grasp the material or just recall it? - How can you test depth of understanding? A Different Perspective If you only memorize without understanding, you may still forget. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Don Forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/don-forget/) [Forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forget/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Know Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-know/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) [Understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand/) [Understand Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand-know-299353/) ## Related quotes > [“You understand how much you know about a subject the moment you give explanations to someone who doesn't know anything about it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigina-sgarro/you-understand-how-much-you-know-about-a-subject-the-moment-you-give/) [Luigina Sgarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigina-sgarro/) > [“I’m more happy than not. Don’t forget me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-silvera/i-m-more-happy-than-not-don-t-forget-me/) [Adam Silvera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-silvera/) > [Don't forget to support your public library.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/don-t-forget-to-support-your-public-library/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Don't forget our vets. They have been forgotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/don-t-forget-our-vets-they-have-been-forgotten/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [“Don’t forget that everything you deal with is only one thing and nothing else. And”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/don-t-forget-that-everything-you-deal-with-is-only-one-thing-and/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [You may not talk enough because you think other people wont understand you, but know that I love you enough to always have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-j/you-may-not-talk-enough-because-you-think-other-people-wont/) [Janelle J](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-j/) > [“People are afraid of anything they don't understand. When they understand, when they know the truth, they can do something about it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-weil/people-are-afraid-of-anything-they-don-t-understand-when-they/) [Ann Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-weil/) > [“Knowing people you understand you do not know people at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galib-mammadov/knowing-people-you-understand-you-do-not-know-people-at-all/) [Galib Mammadov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/galib-mammadov/) > [“The more we understand, the less we know each other!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fereidoon-yazdi/the-more-we-understand-the-less-we-know-each-other/) [Fereidoon Yazdi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fereidoon-yazdi/) > [We understand and know the nature of some components of social media and media these days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-psaki/we-understand-and-know-the-nature-of-some-components-of-social-media/) [Jen Psaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-psaki/) > [“If you expect to find people who will understand you, you will grow murderous with disappointment. The best you’ll ever do is to understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-finch/if-you-expect-to-find-people-who-will-understand-you-you-will-grow/) [Janet Finch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-finch/) > [There are some people who still don't understand. But I know by the end of my fulfillment they will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-kim/there-are-some-people-who-still-don-t-understand-but-i-know-by-the/) [Lil' Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-kim/) > [“They were the truth, so far as I can see." "But you cannot see very far, and what you do see you do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-mcdermott/they-were-the-truth-so-far-as-i-can-see-but-you-cannot-see-very-far/) [Shannon McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-mcdermott/) > [“Before you go on any mission, you need to understand what you know, identify what you don’t know, and try to guess what could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-demille/before-you-go-on-any-mission-you-need-to-understand-what-you-know/) [Nelson DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-demille/) > [When you really understand that you are what you see and know, you do not run around the countryside thinking, "I am all this!"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/when-you-really-understand-that-you-are-what-you-see-and-know-you-do/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) ## More by Michel Thomas > [All stress inhibits true and effective learning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-thomas/all-stress-inhibits-true-and-effective-learning/) [Michel Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-thomas/) > [If you give yourself that short little moment of thinking, then you cannot miss it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-thomas/if-you-give-yourself-that-short-little-moment-of-thinking-then-you/) [Michel Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-thomas/) > [If you know how to handle the verbs, you know how to handle the language. Everything else is just vocabulary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-thomas/if-you-know-how-to-handle-the-verbs-you-know-how-to-handle-the/) [Michel Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-thomas/) [Explore all 4 Michel Thomas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-thomas/) ## More Forget quotes > [I Never met her,i never talked to her,but in my whole day I am either thinking about her or trying to forget her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subhananda/i-never-met-her-i-never-talked-to-her-but-in-my-whole-day-i-am-either/) [Subhananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subhananda/) > [What people tend to forget is the journey that I had getting to Formula One. There were plenty of years where I had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-hamilton/what-people-tend-to-forget-is-the-journey-that-i-had-getting-to/) [Lewis Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-hamilton/) > [Once upon a time. Ah forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/once-upon-a-time-ah-forget-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Forget the credit, they (male actors) take all the money as well. We don't get paid even one-third of what male actors get. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kangana-ranaut/forget-the-credit-they-male-actors-take-all-the-money-as-well-we-don/) [Kangana Ranaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kangana-ranaut/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/your-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-doesn-t-it-simply-files-things/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Which people take the time to care for their souls, these days? I reckon not many. But...hear this: I think that maybe in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-fletcher/which-people-take-the-time-to-care-for-their-souls-these-days-i/) [Susan Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-fletcher/) > [The problem with people is they forget that most of the time it's the small things that count.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/the-problem-with-people-is-they-forget-that-most-of-the-time-it-s-the/) [Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/) > [Remind a man of what he remembers, and you will make him forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plautus/remind-a-man-of-what-he-remembers-and-you-will-make-him-forget-it/) [Plautus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plautus/) > [“So you try, and try, to move past it and forget about them, but it's like they're stuck in your head -- you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-mcdonald/so-you-try-and-try-to-move-past-it-and-forget-about-them-but-it-s/) [Abby McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-mcdonald/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [People are disturbed not by things but by the view they take of them. They may forget what you said, but they will never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/people-are-disturbed-not-by-things-but-by-the-view-they-take-of-them/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [I don't think people will ever forget I was an 'Angel,' anymore than they'll forget Sally Field was 'The Flying Nun.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-ladd/i-don-t-think-people-will-ever-forget-i-was-an-angel-anymore-than/) [Cheryl Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-ladd/) > [If God knows me I will never forget him](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trunxbeats/if-god-knows-me-i-will-never-forget-him/) [Trunxbeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trunxbeats/) > [Our memory is a monster; you forget it - it does not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/our-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-it-does-not/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) [Browse all 11,315 Forget quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forget/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What you understand, you know; and what you know, you don't forget.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michel Thomas" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-thomas/what-you-understand-you-know-and-what-you-know-you-don-t-forget/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Forget" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-thomas/what-you-understand-you-know-and-what-you-know-you-don-t-forget/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e7/michel-thomas-72322_forget_what-you-understand-you-know-and-what-yo_2498732.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e7/michel-thomas-72322_forget_what-you-understand-you-know-and-what-yo_2498732.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e7/michel-thomas-72322_forget_what-you-understand-you-know-and-what-yo_2498732.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What you understand, you know; and what you know, you don't forget.” — Michel Thomas", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Michel Thomas", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-thomas/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What you understand, you know; and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-thomas/what-you-understand-you-know-and-what-you-know-you-don-t-forget/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-thomas/what-you-understand-you-know-and-what-you-know-you-don-t-forget/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```