--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A mistake is something that you did…" description: "\"A mistake is something that you did thinking it was right but it was wrong. A sin is something that you know is wrong.\" — Anwar al-Awlaki" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/anwar-al-awlaki-74637_failure_a-mistake-is-something-that-you-did-thin_1200827.jpg" --- # A mistake is something that you did thinking it was right… ![“A mistake is something that you did thinking it was right but it was wrong. A sin is something that you know is wrong.” quote by Anwar al-Awlaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/anwar-al-awlaki-74637_failure_a-mistake-is-something-that-you-did-thin_1200827.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/anwar-al-awlaki-74637_failure_a-mistake-is-something-that-you-did-thin_1200827.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/anwar-al-awlaki-74637_failure_a-mistake-is-something-that-you-did-thin_1200827.jpg) > “A mistake is something that you did thinking it was right but it was wrong. A sin is something that you know is wrong.” Anwar al-Awlaki ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A mistake stems from misguided belief, while a sin arises from conscious awareness of wrongdoing. **In simple terms:** Mistakes are errors, sins are knowingly wrong actions. Key Takeaway Recognize intent behind actions. Themes ethics intention morality Mood reflective serious Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - personal decisions - legal judgments - leadership - education Key Concepts cognitive bias moral responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate error from moral breach? - Can intent excuse outcome? A Different Perspective Intent may be misinterpreted; cultural context varies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sin/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [There's no fury more righteous than that of a sinner accused of the wrong sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-paterson/there-s-no-fury-more-righteous-than-that-of-a-sinner-accused-of-the/) [Don Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-paterson/) > [Knowledge forbidden? Suspicious, reasonless. Why should their Lord Envy them that? Can it be sin to know, Can it be death? And do they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/knowledge-forbidden-suspicious-reasonless-why-should-their-lord-envy/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [“When I do what I know is wrong…it is sin which dwells in my members (body of flesh).” It wasn’t Satan oppressing him; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-snipes/when-i-do-what-i-know-is-wrong-it-is-sin-which-dwells-in-my-members/) [Eddie Snipes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-snipes/) > [“I don't know. I think..." He cleared his throat and looked up finally, green eyes piercing into Carhart's blue ones. "I think I may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ais/i-don-t-know-i-think-he-cleared-his-throat-and-looked-up-finally/) [Ais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ais/) > [All sin is equally wrong, but not all sin is equally bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-sin-is-equally-wrong-but-not-all-sin-is-equally-bad/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No fury more righteous than that of a sinner accused of the wrong sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-paterson/no-fury-more-righteous-than-that-of-a-sinner-accused-of-the-wrong-sin/) [Don Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-paterson/) > [Everything is blurred on what's right and what's wrong ... Sin becomes fine. Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. Bestiality,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/everything-is-blurred-on-what-s-right-and-what-s-wrong-sin-becomes/) [Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/) > [Be not familiar with the idea of wrong, for sin in fancy mothers many an ugly fact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-parker/be-not-familiar-with-the-idea-of-wrong-for-sin-in-fancy-mothers-many/) [Theodore Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-parker/) > [“People, especially some religious people. would have us believe that it is wrong . even a sin, to love oneself. It is not. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-balogh/people-especially-some-religious-people-would-have-us-believe-that-it/) [Mary Balogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-balogh/) > [I stayed after every mistake he made...but when I did the slightest one, I was left in the dust... and I heard the angels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sahleenzlie/i-stayed-after-every-mistake-he-made-but-when-i-did-the-slightest-one/) Sahleenzlie > [I want to go back in my life and want to fix all those mistake I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-sharma/i-want-to-go-back-in-my-life-and-want-to-fix-all-those-mistake-i-did/) Ravi Sharma > [The only mistake I did is to love you then nothing from myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracesel-collado/the-only-mistake-i-did-is-to-love-you-then-nothing-from-myself/) [Gracesel Collado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracesel-collado/) > [“The way the animals live, everybody envies them, because look, a cat, when it walks--did you ever see a cat making an aesthetic mistake.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-t-hunt/the-way-the-animals-live-everybody-envies-them-because-look-a-cat/) H.T. Hunt > [Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/nobody-made-a-greater-mistake-than-he-who-did-nothing-because-he/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [If you do something to see if it works, and then it doesn't work, was that a valuable educational experience for you - that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-bankman-fried/if-you-do-something-to-see-if-it-works-and-then-it-doesn-t-work-was/) [Sam Bankman-Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-bankman-fried/) ## More by Anwar al-Awlaki > [Jihad is becoming as American as apple pie and as British as afternoon tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anwar-al-awlaki/jihad-is-becoming-as-american-as-apple-pie-and-as-british-as/) Anwar al-Awlaki > [Iman is to believe, even when an overpowering tide of evil surrounds you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anwar-al-awlaki/iman-is-to-believe-even-when-an-overpowering-tide-of-evil-surrounds/) Anwar al-Awlaki Explore all 3 Anwar al-Awlaki quotes ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A mistake is something that you did thinking it was right but it was wrong. 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