Doe Quote by Arthur Schopenhauer
“To free a man from error is to give, not to take away. Knowledge that a thing is false is a truth. Error always does harm; sooner or later it will bring mischief to the man who harbors it.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Essays and Aphorisms, 1851
Correcting false beliefs is a form of giving truth, not merely removing error; truth ultimately harms the holder of error.
In simple terms: Give truth, not just remove error.
Key Takeaway
Seek truth, not just correction.
Themes
philosophy
truth
error correction
Mood
thoughtful
critical
Type
philosophical
reflective
When to use this quote
- education
- debate
- personal growth
- policy making
Key Concepts
epistemology
ethics
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you handle the discomfort of confronting false beliefs?
- When is it better to let an error stand?
A Different Perspective
Truth can be painful and may be resisted.
![“[T]he appropriate form of address between man and man ought to be, not monsieur, sir, but fellow sufferer, compagnon de miseres.” quote by Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/be6/arthur-schopenhauer-226_addresses_t-he-appropriate-form-of-address-between_32897.jpg)
![“[Materialism] seeks the primary and most simple state of matter, and then tries to develop all the others from it; ascending from mere mechanism, to chemism, to polarity, to the vegetable and to the animal kingdom. And if we suppose this to have been done, the last link in the chain would be…” quote by Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/88c/arthur-schopenhauer-226_animal-kingdom_materialism-seeks-the-primary-and-most-s_50402.jpg)
