Erkenntnis ist der erste Schritt zur Besserung

English translation: recognition is the first step toward improvement

14:19 Feb 24, 2006
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
German term or phrase: Erkenntnis ist der erste Schritt zur Besserung
Hi

Gibt es eine Entsprechung im Englischen fuer dieses Sprichwort? wie wuerdet ihr es uebersetzen?

Vielen Dank fuer eure Muehe

Vampyre
Vampyre
English translation:recognition is the first step toward improvement
Explanation:
or acknowledgement, I've heard both.
Selected response from:

Steven Sidore
Germany
Local time: 16:43
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +5recognition is the first step toward improvement
Steven Sidore
3 +2admission is the first step to recovery
Francis Lee (X)
4Self-admission is the first step on the road to recovery
gangels (X)
3Accepting that a problem exists is the first step towards solving it
Bob Kerns (X)
3acceptance is the first step to recovery
stahat (X)
3a fault confessed is half redressed
Johanna Timm, PhD
3Knowing is half the battle
Henry Schroeder
3Awareness is the first step towards change
Annette Urbschat


Discussion entries: 7





  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +5
erkenntniss ist der erste schritt zur besserung
recognition is the first step toward improvement


Explanation:
or acknowledgement, I've heard both.

Steven Sidore
Germany
Local time: 16:43
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  oxygen4u: :)
4 mins

agree  Lucia [Lulu] Lay
47 mins

agree  Susan Keller: surely it has to be improvement, and not recovery etc. in the given context - people can do their job better, improve themselves, if they know what they need to address (Erkenntis being the feedback or knowledge)
11 hrs

agree  Ulrike Kraemer: I would use "insight" instead of recognition, and it's definitely "improvement" in the context, not recovery. Here, Besserung = VERBesserung (= getting better in doing sth., not recovering from sth.).
18 hrs

agree  Michaela Sommer: works best in this context
19 hrs

neutral  Francis Lee (X): if you've "heard both", why have neither I nor anyone else on the Net? Of course this makes sense, but it's not a set phrase (and I'm not keen on "recognition" without a noun)
22 hrs
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13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
erkenntniss ist der erste schritt zur besserung
Accepting that a problem exists is the first step towards solving it


Explanation:
or "... is a prequisite for solving it"

Are we talking about management principles here or attitudes to health care or what?

Bob Kerns (X)
Germany
Local time: 16:43
Native speaker of: English
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9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
erkenntniss ist der erste schritt zur besserung
admission is the first step to recovery


Explanation:
I guess that's the equivalent. Otherwise e.g. "admitting there's a problem ..."

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 35 mins (2006-02-24 14:55:09 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Well, some 884 Google hits seem to imply this is indeed the standard saying ...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 40 mins (2006-02-24 15:00:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

If it is indeed "Selbsterkenntnis":
Admitting/knowing/realizing/acknowledging/being aware of your faults is the first step towards correcting/curing them

But surely the author meant just "Erkenntnis" if they wrote it, nöh?

Francis Lee (X)
Local time: 16:43
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 54

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Aniello Scognamiglio (X)
1 hr

agree  Rachel Ward
1 hr

neutral  Henry Schroeder: Why do employees with feedback need to recover? Wouldn't "improvement" be more logical in the context explained in the note?
15 hrs
  -> This is a common SPRICHWORT (as requested by the Asker), which I posted before more context was provided; still more applicable than the German ;-)

neutral  Ulrike Kraemer: With Henry (see my comment to Steven's suggestion above). // Die Übersetzung kann ruhig unpassend sein... Hauptsache, es ist eine "common phrase"?
18 hrs
  -> "recognition is the first step toward improvement" is not a common phrase, but a literal translation; "insight" passt hier übrigens überhaupt nicht // Aber nein, an sich natürlich nicht, but what canya do? ;-)

neutral  Michaela Sommer: So sorry Francis - I meant to agree with Steven's answer, I'm not quite with it this morning:-(
18 hrs
  -> Hey, I'm very much normalsterblich myself 8-)
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
erkenntniss ist der erste schritt zur besserung
acceptance is the first step to recovery


Explanation:
"acceptance is the first step to recovery"

some google hits also (426)

stahat (X)
Local time: 17:43
Native speaker of: Native in GreekGreek, Native in GermanGerman
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Self-admission is the first step on the road to recovery


Explanation:
or 'recognizing your failings is the ...'

gangels (X)
Local time: 09:43
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 14
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
a fault confessed is half redressed


Explanation:
{_ Einsicht_ ist der erste Weg zur Besserung}
maybe this works


Johanna Timm, PhD
Canada
Local time: 08:43
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 90

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Michaela Sommer: I love this one, Johanna, but I think it's too negative in this particular context as it implies that the employee is at some sort of 'fault'.
10 hrs
  -> hach!! Und da dachte ich, das wäre eine wahre Glanzleistung!!! Aber was solls- wie heisst's noch so schoen: 'Einsicht ist...;)
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15 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Knowing is half the battle


Explanation:
A little late...

In your context with "feedback on performance", I would tranlate Kenntnis as "knowing" rather than "recognition" or "admission" which are not appropriate here.

If you want to translate an idiom with an idiom here is a nice option.

Here is the example from the reference:

be half the battle (won)

to be the most difficult part of a process so that once you have completed this part, you have almost succeeded. When you're training a dog, getting it to trust you is half the battle.
See also: half




    Reference: http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/battle
Henry Schroeder
United States
Local time: 11:43
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 2

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Susan Keller: although i like "knowing" even better than recognition, isn't. "battle" a bit harsh? Agree with you on phrases with "half" .
12 hrs
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1 day 22 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Awareness is the first step towards change


Explanation:
Not an idiom but might work in this context. I also keep flashing on the saying: If you don't learn from history, you are likely to repeat it.

Annette Urbschat
Local time: 11:43
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 3
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