Here Confucius is saying that if we were to indulge in a one-sided pursuit, then learning would be more rewarding than thinking. A moment’s reflection will show that this is not an unreasonable view. If one’s aim is to make advances in knowledge, both thinking and learning are equally necessary, but in cases where one has no such aim, through learning one can at least gain something by acquainting oneself with what is already known, but one is unlikely to make any gains at all if one thinks in vacua.
