---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To err, as they say, is human. To forgive…"
description: "\"“To err, as they say, is human. To forgive is divine. To err by withholding your forgiveness until it’s too late is to become divinely fucked up.”\" — J..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bea/jonathan-tropper-1555_forgive_to-err-as-they-say-is-human-to-forgive-i_390009.jpg"
---

#  To err, as they say, is human. To forgive is divine. To…

![“To err, as they say, is human. To forgive is divine. To err by withholding your forgiveness until it’s too late is to become divinely fucked up.” quote by Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bea/jonathan-tropper-1555_forgive_to-err-as-they-say-is-human-to-forgive-i_390009.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bea/jonathan-tropper-1555_forgive_to-err-as-they-say-is-human-to-forgive-i_390009.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bea/jonathan-tropper-1555_forgive_to-err-as-they-say-is-human-to-forgive-i_390009.jpg)

> ““To err, as they say, is human. To forgive is divine. To err by withholding your forgiveness until it’s too late is to become divinely fucked up.””

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Human error is inevitable; forgiveness is a higher virtue, and delaying it harms both parties

**In simple terms:** Forgiving is divine, withholding is damaging

Key Takeaway

Choose forgiveness promptly to avoid lasting damage

Themes

human nature forgiveness divine virtue

Mood

reflective serious

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- conflict resolution
- personal relationships
- team dynamics

Key Concepts

moral responsibility psychological relief

Questions to Reflect On

- What holds you back from forgiving quickly?
- How does delayed forgiveness affect you?

A Different Perspective

Forgiveness may be difficult when hurt is deep; not always immediate

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness/) [Too late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-late/)

## Related quotes

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[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [To err is human, to forgive is divine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-prejean/to-err-is-human-to-forgive-is-divine/)

[Helen Prejean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-prejean/)

> [To err is human; to forgive, divine. --Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/to-err-is-human-to-forgive-divine-alexander-pope/)

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> [To err is human; to forgive, divine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/to-err-is-human-to-forgive-divine/)

[Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/)

> [Good-nature and good-sense must ever join; To err is human, to forgive, divine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/good-nature-and-good-sense-must-ever-join-to-err-is-human-to-forgive/)

[Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/)

> [“Alison's grandfather told her,'To err is human, to forgive divine”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-griffith/alison-s-grandfather-told-her-to-err-is-human-to-forgive-divine/)

Diane Griffith

> [To err is human, to forgive is against company policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lew-wasserman/to-err-is-human-to-forgive-is-against-company-policy/)

[Lew Wasserman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lew-wasserman/)

> [To err is human, to forgive is not a Company policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-err-is-human-to-forgive-is-not-a-company-policy/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [To err is human, to forgive supine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-perelman/to-err-is-human-to-forgive-supine/)

[S. J. Perelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-perelman/)

> [To err is human, but to forgive, well that's right on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-vaughn/to-err-is-human-but-to-forgive-well-that-s-right-on/)

[Vince Vaughn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-vaughn/)

> [To err is human; to forgive people and yourself for poor behavior is to be sensible and realistic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/to-err-is-human-to-forgive-people-and-yourself-for-poor-behavior-is/)

[Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/)

> [To err is human; to forgive takes time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/to-err-is-human-to-forgive-takes-time/)

[Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/)

> [To love is human, it is also human to forgive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plautus/to-love-is-human-it-is-also-human-to-forgive/)

[Plautus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plautus/)

> [“There are two choices: to be human, made in the image of God, with Jesus; warp to be in human, consumed with greed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mckenna/there-are-two-choices-to-be-human-made-in-the-image-of-god-with-jesus/)

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## More by Jonathan Tropper

> [The thing about living alone is that it gives you a lot of time to think. You don't necessarily reach any conclusions, because wisdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/the-thing-about-living-alone-is-that-it-gives-you-a-lot-of-time-to/)

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> [“Phillip, who is congenitally incapable of moderation,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/phillip-who-is-congenitally-incapable-of-moderation/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [“There's always a last time. If you could remember every last time, you'd never stop grieving.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/there-s-always-a-last-time-if-you-could-remember-every-last-time-you/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [“In my family, we don’t so much air our grievances as wallow in them. Anger and resentment are cumulative.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/in-my-family-we-don-t-so-much-air-our-grievances-as-wallow-in-them/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [“Do I really look so pathetic to all of you? Like I couldn't possibly meet someone on my own? Half the people in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/do-i-really-look-so-pathetic-to-all-of-you-like-i-couldn-t-possibly/)

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> [“Being gay is like taking a crash course in human nature,” he says. “Your first real glimpse at the dirty underbelly of routine social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/being-gay-is-like-taking-a-crash-course-in-human-nature-he-says-your/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [“It's just hard to see people from your past when your present is so cataclysmically fucked.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/it-s-just-hard-to-see-people-from-your-past-when-your-present-is-so/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [I occasionally experience the discomfort of people assuming my work is autobiographical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/i-occasionally-experience-the-discomfort-of-people-assuming-my-work/)

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[Explore all 222 Jonathan Tropper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

## More Forgive quotes

> [“So in practicing blanket forgiveness you first assume that in any current condition of pain or discomfort there is some anger involved, even if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serge-kahili-king/so-in-practicing-blanket-forgiveness-you-first-assume-that-in-any/)

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> [The public, more often than not, will forgive mistakes, but it will not forgive trying to wiggle out of one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-grizzard/the-public-more-often-than-not-will-forgive-mistakes-but-it-will-not/)

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Browse all 3,381 Forgive quotes

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