We can paraphrase "we know more than we can tell" in at least two ways:
1. "We know [the manner in which we carry out a task] more than we can tell [...but are unable to articulate the procedure by which we do it]."
2. "We [can do] more than we [can explain in writing or verbally]."
The second statement is uncontroversial. No one would say that the ability to ride a bicycle logically entails the ability to explain how we do those things in writing such that, by reading alone, someone could learn to ride a bicycle.
But this is only mysterious if you consider the second statement to be a paraphrase of the first. I don't think that it is. The first statement suggests a mystery; it's as if we are always following rules when we act skillfully, but are sometimes unable to articulate those rules.
But this is a mistaken view. Not all skillful performance is rule-governed. In fact, most isn't (statement two). And that is easy to forget, but does not require a theory of "tacit knowledge".
1. "We know [the manner in which we carry out a task] more than we can tell [...but are unable to articulate the procedure by which we do it]." 2. "We [can do] more than we [can explain in writing or verbally]."
The second statement is uncontroversial. No one would say that the ability to ride a bicycle logically entails the ability to explain how we do those things in writing such that, by reading alone, someone could learn to ride a bicycle.
But this is only mysterious if you consider the second statement to be a paraphrase of the first. I don't think that it is. The first statement suggests a mystery; it's as if we are always following rules when we act skillfully, but are sometimes unable to articulate those rules.
But this is a mistaken view. Not all skillful performance is rule-governed. In fact, most isn't (statement two). And that is easy to forget, but does not require a theory of "tacit knowledge".
See also: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/knowledge-how/