José Saramago

José Saramago (1922–2010) was a Portuguese novelist, playwright and journalist who won the 1998 Nobel Prize in Literature and wrote novels such as Blindness and The Gospel According to Jesus Christ. This quote emphasizes that genuine understanding cannot be achieved merely by adding explanations, reflecting his attention to perception and the limits of language.

Quotes by José Saramago

Quotes: 1

If you can’t understand it without an explanation, you can’t understand it with an explanation. — José Saramago

When Explanations Can’t Replace True Understanding

Even so, Saramago’s line doesn’t have to be read as contempt for teaching. Explanations often work—especially when they include examples, guided practice, and checks for understanding. Modern learning science supports this: people benefit when new information is anchored to prior knowledge and applied through retrieval and problem-solving, not just heard once. The deeper takeaway, then, is about timing and readiness. Explanations are powerful when they meet a mind prepared to integrate them; otherwise, they may bounce off. The responsibility is shared: the explainer must build bridges, and the learner must cultivate the internal structures that let an explanation become understanding. [...]

Created on: 12/20/2025