---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Great men in teaching weak men to reflect…"
description: "\"Great men in teaching weak men to reflect have set them on the road to error.\" — Luc de Clapiers"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/915/luc-de-clapiers-2035_errors_great-men-in-teaching-weak-men-to-reflec_2468192.png"
---

#  Great men in teaching weak men to reflect have set them on…

![“Great men in teaching weak men to reflect have set them on the road to error.” quote by Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/915/luc-de-clapiers-2035_errors_great-men-in-teaching-weak-men-to-reflec_2468192.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/915/luc-de-clapiers-2035_errors_great-men-in-teaching-weak-men-to-reflec_2468192.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/915/luc-de-clapiers-2035_errors_great-men-in-teaching-weak-men-to-reflec_2468192.png)

> “Great men in teaching weak men to reflect have set them on the road to error.”

[Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/)

## About This Quote

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

Teaching weak thinkers to reflect can mislead them into error if not guided properly.

**In simple terms:** Guidance is needed when encouraging critical thought.

Key Takeaway

Provide mentorship when fostering reflection.

Themes

education critical thinking leadership

Mood

thoughtful analytical

Type

philosophical educational

When to use this quote

- classroom instruction
- personal coaching
- self‑improvement programs

Key Concepts

philosophy mentorship cognitive development

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we ensure reflection leads to truth?
- What role does mentorship play in critical thinking?

A Different Perspective

Reflection without structure can reinforce misconceptions.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Great men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-men/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Teaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teaching/) [Weak men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weak-men/)

## Related quotes

> [“But how just it has been! And how should all men reflect, that when they compare their present conditions with others that are worse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-defoe/but-how-just-it-has-been-and-how-should-all-men-reflect-that-when/)

[Daniel Defoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-defoe/)

> [Weak men act to satisfy their needs, stronger men their duties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/weak-men-act-to-satisfy-their-needs-stronger-men-their-duties/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

> [There is no strong beer, just weak men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-castellaneta/there-is-no-strong-beer-just-weak-men/)

[Dan Castellaneta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-castellaneta/)

> [Many Christians estimate difficulties in the light of their own resources, and thus attempt little and often fail in the little they attempt. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/many-christians-estimate-difficulties-in-the-light-of-their-own/)

[Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/)

> [When a broken tank is filled with water, It certainly will leak on every side. Weak men who grow rich Seldom leave an inheritance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sakya-pandita/when-a-broken-tank-is-filled-with-water-it-certainly-will-leak-on/)

Sakya Pandita

> [“Usually, when we think of power, we think of external power. And we think of powerful people as those who have made it in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/usually-when-we-think-of-power-we-think-of-external-power-and-we/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [So easily do weak men put in high positions turn villains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitry-pisarev/so-easily-do-weak-men-put-in-high-positions-turn-villains/)

[Dmitry Pisarev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitry-pisarev/)

> [All God's giants have been weak men and women who have gotten hold of God's faithfulness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/all-god-s-giants-have-been-weak-men-and-women-who-have-gotten-hold-of/)

[Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/)

> [In the birthing process, you come out just realizing how stupid and weak men are! I mean, I might as well not have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heath-ledger/in-the-birthing-process-you-come-out-just-realizing-how-stupid-and/)

[Heath Ledger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heath-ledger/)

> [The Peloponnesian War turns out to be no dry chronicle of abstract cause and effect. No, it is above all an intense, riveting, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/the-peloponnesian-war-turns-out-to-be-no-dry-chronicle-of-abstract/)

[Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/)

> [Weak men are easily put out of humor. Oil freezes quicker than water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/berthold-auerbach/weak-men-are-easily-put-out-of-humor-oil-freezes-quicker-than-water/)

[Berthold Auerbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/berthold-auerbach/)

> [Excess on occasion is exhilarating. It prevents moderation from acquiring the deadening effect of a habit. It's a funny thing about life; if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/excess-on-occasion-is-exhilarating-it-prevents-moderation-from/)

[W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

> [Cunning is only the mimic of discretion, and may pass upon weak men in the same manner as vivacity is often mistaken for wit,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/cunning-is-only-the-mimic-of-discretion-and-may-pass-upon-weak-men-in/)

[Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/)

> [I have yet to encounter that common myth of weak men, an insurmountable barrier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lane-allen/i-have-yet-to-encounter-that-common-myth-of-weak-men-an/)

[James Lane Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lane-allen/)

> [Even weak men when united are powerful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-schiller/even-weak-men-when-united-are-powerful/)

[Friedrich Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-schiller/)

## More by Luc de Clapiers

> [Great men undertake great things because they are great; fools, because they think them easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/great-men-undertake-great-things-because-they-are-great-fools-because/)

[Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/)

> [You must rouse into people's consciousness their own prudence and strength, if you want to raise their character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/you-must-rouse-into-people-s-consciousness-their-own-prudence-and/)

[Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/)

> [To achieve great things we must live as though we were never going to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/to-achieve-great-things-we-must-live-as-though-we-were-never-going-to/)

[Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/)

> [Excessive distrust is not less hurtfJul than its opposite. Most men become useless to him who is unwilling to risk being deceived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/excessive-distrust-is-not-less-hurtfjul-than-its-opposite-most-men/)

[Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/)

> [There are those who are so scrupulously afraid of doing wrong that they seldom venture to do anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/there-are-those-who-are-so-scrupulously-afraid-of-doing-wrong-that/)

[Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/)

> [The most absurd and reckless aspirations have sometimes led to extraordinary success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/the-most-absurd-and-reckless-aspirations-have-sometimes-led-to/)

[Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/)

> [We are very wrong to think that some fault or other can exclude virtue, or to consider the alliance of good and evil as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/we-are-very-wrong-to-think-that-some-fault-or-other-can-exclude/)

[Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/)

> [Men are not to be judged by what they do not know, but by what they know, and by the manner in which they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/men-are-not-to-be-judged-by-what-they-do-not-know-but-by-what-they/)

[Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/)

> [Men dissimulate their dearest, most constant, and most virtuous inclination from weakness and a fear of being condemned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/men-dissimulate-their-dearest-most-constant-and-most-virtuous/)

[Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/)

> [To withdraw ourselves from the law of the strong, we have found ourselves obliged to submit to justice. Justice or might, we must choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/to-withdraw-ourselves-from-the-law-of-the-strong-we-have-found/)

[Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/)

> [None are more liable to mistakes than those who act only on second thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/none-are-more-liable-to-mistakes-than-those-who-act-only-on-second/)

[Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/)

> [The mind is the soul's eye, not its source of power. That lies in the heart, in other words, in the passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/the-mind-is-the-soul-s-eye-not-its-source-of-power-that-lies-in-the/)

[Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/)

> [It is easier to say new things than to reconcile those which have already been said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/it-is-easier-to-say-new-things-than-to-reconcile-those-which-have/)

[Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/)

> [Those who can bear all can dare all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/those-who-can-bear-all-can-dare-all/)

[Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/)

> [It is of no use to possess a lively wit if it is not of the right proportion: the perfection of a clock is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/it-is-of-no-use-to-possess-a-lively-wit-if-it-is-not-of-the-right/)

[Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/)

[Explore all 190 Luc de Clapiers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/)

## More Errors quotes

> [It is easier to perceive error than to find truth, for the former lies on the surface and is easily seen, while the latter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/it-is-easier-to-perceive-error-than-to-find-truth-for-the-former-lies/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [Effective leaders are made, not born. They learn from trial and error, and from experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/effective-leaders-are-made-not-born-they-learn-from-trial-and-error/)

[Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/)

> [“I saw the errors I had made and assumed full responsibility for everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/i-saw-the-errors-i-had-made-and-assumed-full-responsibility-for/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [Sometimes I envy painters, it is wonderful to remain in front of a bouquet of flowers a whole morning, or even longer. A photographer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edouard-boubat/sometimes-i-envy-painters-it-is-wonderful-to-remain-in-front-of-a/)

[Edouard Boubat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edouard-boubat/)

> [It is an error common to many artists, who strive merely to avoid mistakes, when all our efforts should be to create positive and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-steichen/it-is-an-error-common-to-many-artists-who-strive-merely-to-avoid/)

[Edward Steichen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-steichen/)

> [Truth is error burned up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-o-brown/truth-is-error-burned-up/)

[Norman O. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-o-brown/)

> [But a most pernicious error widely prevails that Scripture has only so much weight as is conceded to it by the consent of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/but-a-most-pernicious-error-widely-prevails-that-scripture-has-only/)

[John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/)

> [An important finding is that by determining the genome sequences of an entire family, one can identify many DNA sequencing errors and thus greatly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-hood/an-important-finding-is-that-by-determining-the-genome-sequences-of/)

[Leroy Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-hood/)

> [It is often sadly remarked that the bad economists present their errors to the public better than the good economists present their truths. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/it-is-often-sadly-remarked-that-the-bad-economists-present-their/)

[Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/)

> [Developing fewer features allows you to conserve development resources and spend more time refining those features that users really need. Fewer features mean fewer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jakob-nielsen/developing-fewer-features-allows-you-to-conserve-development/)

[Jakob Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jakob-nielsen/)

> [Tachyon OPC+ is a natural extension of our market-winning Tachyon platform, giving customers a clear path to minimizing the OPC error budget and producing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-vaughan/tachyon-opc-is-a-natural-extension-of-our-market-winning-tachyon/)

[Bill Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-vaughan/)

> [It is not to everyone's taste that truth should be pronounced pleasant. But at least let no one believe that error becomes truth when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-is-not-to-everyone-s-taste-that-truth-should-be-pronounced/)

[Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/)

> [To avoid being drawn into error, keep a firm grip on the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/to-avoid-being-drawn-into-error-keep-a-firm-grip-on-the-truth/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [Over immense periods of time the intellect produced nothing but errors. A few of these proved to be useful and helped to preserve the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/over-immense-periods-of-time-the-intellect-produced-nothing-but/)

[Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/)

> [But to me all sciences seem vain and full of error that are not born of experience, mother of all certainty, and do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/but-to-me-all-sciences-seem-vain-and-full-of-error-that-are-not-born/)

[Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/)

Browse all 2,404 Errors quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Great men in teaching weak men to reflect have set them on the road to error.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Luc de Clapiers"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/great-men-in-teaching-weak-men-to-reflect-have-set-them-on-the-road/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Errors"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/great-men-in-teaching-weak-men-to-reflect-have-set-them-on-the-road/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/915/luc-de-clapiers-2035_errors_great-men-in-teaching-weak-men-to-reflec_2468192.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/915/luc-de-clapiers-2035_errors_great-men-in-teaching-weak-men-to-reflec_2468192.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/915/luc-de-clapiers-2035_errors_great-men-in-teaching-weak-men-to-reflec_2468192.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Great men in teaching weak men to reflect have set them on the road to error.” — Luc de Clapiers",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Luc de Clapiers",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Great men in teaching weak men...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/great-men-in-teaching-weak-men-to-reflect-have-set-them-on-the-road/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/great-men-in-teaching-weak-men-to-reflect-have-set-them-on-the-road/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
