Sayings differ from proverbs in the first place, because there are much more situations for their use. Let’s take, for example, the well-known expression “a mosquito of a nose will not smother”. Its meaning can range from "no one will know" to "everything will be fine." Proverbs necessarily contain a conclusion, and sayings can be used “by the way” and be ambiguous. So, in what cases is it appropriate to use the phrase “you know less - sleep better”, and what is meant by this?
What prevents sleep peacefully?
This expression is completely in vain called a proverb, because not a single sane person will accept the words “you know less, you sleep better” for direct action. Otherwise, he would have to abandon any knowledge for a healthy sleep. But the multiplication table or the rules of the Russian language are unlikely to bring anyone to sleeplessness. So then what kind of knowledge that interferes with night rest is said in the saying? To do this, turn to sensible
dictionaries and see the lexical meaning of the word "know." It seems to everyone so elementary that it never occurs to anyone that there may be some misunderstanding in connection with it. And still. For example, in the XVIII century dictionary “know” had eight meanings, the main of which was the availability of information, news of something. In modern Russian, in the Efremova dictionary, the verb “know” has five meanings, the first of which means cognition, the second means awareness, the third means acquaintance with someone, the fourth means experience, the fifth meaning (figurative) is used to guess. So now it’s not difficult to conclude that the saying “you know less, sleep better” does not call you to remain ignoramuses, and it doesn’t mean scientific knowledge at all, although one of the options for using this expression in a direct sense, but with a touch of irony, does exist. This will be the case if suddenly in the lesson one of the students, who, moreover, does not study well, falls asleep. It is in this situation, in the expression “you know less, sleep better”, the verb “know” will be used to mean “possess certain knowledge and skills”.
A dream that is not a dream
Is there always a good dream in this saying? A person's sleep is disturbed with increased anxiety. And all kinds of guesses, experiences and information lead to it, which lead to suspicion and reflection, even knowing someone is even “dangerous” for sleep. But is this proverb always referring to a dream in the literal sense? When a woman buys an expensive handbag, to a friend’s question about how her husband will treat this waste, she replies: “She knows less, sleeps better.” With this phrase, the lady immediately makes it clear that she will not say anything to her husband. In this case, the saying has a slightly different meaning: the desire to hide some information from a person so that he does not ask unnecessary questions, there is also a clear desire to make a decision herself, without consulting anyone. But when the seller, changing the sticker on the expiration date on the packaging of the curd, says: “The less you know, the better you sleep, ” he at least goes for forgery, as a result of which, if not trouble, then a big nuisance can happen. So it is quite possible to assume that someone with this saying goes even to a crime.
