---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sincerity must be bought at a price: the…"
description: "\"Sincerity must be bought at a price: the humility to recognize our innumerable errors, and fidelity in tirelessly setting them right.\" — Thomas Merton"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a6/thomas-merton-231_errors_sincerity-must-be-bought-at-a-price-the_1192264.jpg"
---

#  Sincerity must be bought at a price: the humility to…

![“Sincerity must be bought at a price: the humility to recognize our innumerable errors, and fidelity in tirelessly setting them right.” quote by Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a6/thomas-merton-231_errors_sincerity-must-be-bought-at-a-price-the_1192264.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a6/thomas-merton-231_errors_sincerity-must-be-bought-at-a-price-the_1192264.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a6/thomas-merton-231_errors_sincerity-must-be-bought-at-a-price-the_1192264.jpg)

> “Sincerity must be bought at a price: the humility to recognize our innumerable errors, and fidelity in tirelessly setting them right.”

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

## About This Quote

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

True sincerity requires humility to admit mistakes and a steadfast commitment to correct them.

**In simple terms:** Admitting errors and fixing them shows real sincerity.

Key Takeaway

Practice humility and persistent correction.

Themes

integrity humility self‑improvement

Mood

reflective inspirational

Type

ethical motivational

When to use this quote

- personal development
- leadership training
- conflict resolution
- team management

Key Concepts

self‑awareness accountability growth mindset

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you foster a culture that values error‑recognition?
- What habits support ongoing self‑correction?

A Different Perspective

People may resist admitting faults, hindering sincerity.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Fidelity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fidelity/) [Humility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humility/) [Setting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/setting/) [Sincerity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sincerity/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/)

## Related quotes

> [We deeply need the humility to know ourselves as the dependent members of a great community of life, and this can indeed be one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zahniser/we-deeply-need-the-humility-to-know-ourselves-as-the-dependent/)

[Howard Zahniser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zahniser/)

> [“To appreciate beauty is to experience humility—to recognize that something larger and more powerful than oneself is at work in the environment. And humility,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-james-brown/to-appreciate-beauty-is-to-experience-humility-to-recognize-that/)

[Daniel James Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-james-brown/)

> [We are seekers of the truth, but we do not embody the truth. And in humility, we should recognize that the same can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-danforth/we-are-seekers-of-the-truth-but-we-do-not-embody-the-truth-and-in/)

[John C. Danforth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-danforth/)

> [Peace demands the most heroic labor and the most difficult sacrifice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/peace-demands-the-most-heroic-labor-and-the-most-difficult-sacrifice-2/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [Peace demands the most heroic labor and the most difficult sacrifice. It demands greater heroism than war. It demands greater fidelity to the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/peace-demands-the-most-heroic-labor-and-the-most-difficult-sacrifice/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [Detachment from things does not mean setting up a contradiction between 'things' and 'God' as if God were another thing and as if creatures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/detachment-from-things-does-not-mean-setting-up-a-contradiction/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [If you spot a market where the only choices are at either one end or the other - high fidelity or high convenience -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-maney/if-you-spot-a-market-where-the-only-choices-are-at-either-one-end-or/)

[Kevin Maney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-maney/)

> [“Fidelity to the truth is the obligation of all those who claim to love it. It is the unseen halo that accompanies those that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tonny-k-brown/fidelity-to-the-truth-is-the-obligation-of-all-those-who-claim-to/)

[Tonny K. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tonny-k-brown/)

> [Do not all theists insist that there can be no morality, no justice, honesty or fidelity without the belief in a Divine Power? Based…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/do-not-all-theists-insist-that-there-can-be-no-morality-no-justice-2/)

[Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/)

> [I am a pathetic and gushing Nick Hornby fan, and I wanted to be in High Fidelity, and I wanted to be in About…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-williams/i-am-a-pathetic-and-gushing-nick-hornby-fan-and-i-wanted-to-be-in/)

[Olivia Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-williams/)

> [Jesus’ example of fidelity to prayer challenges us to examine the time and effort we devote to our own prayer. While prayer is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/jesus-example-of-fidelity-to-prayer-challenges-us-to-examine-the-time/)

[Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/)

> [Atheism can benefit no class of people; neither the unfortunate, whom it bereaves of hope, nor the prosperous, whose joys it renders insipid, nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-ois-ren-de-chateaubriand/atheism-can-benefit-no-class-of-people-neither-the-unfortunate-whom/)

[François-René de Chateaubriand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-ois-ren-de-chateaubriand/)

> [We must not imitate the externals of nature with so much fidelity that the picture fails to evoke that wonderful teasing recurrence of emotion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-carlson/we-must-not-imitate-the-externals-of-nature-with-so-much-fidelity/)

[John F. Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-carlson/)

> [“I would know you from the heart of the sun. I would know you even if I were mad. I will know you always,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-a-lynn/i-would-know-you-from-the-heart-of-the-sun-i-would-know-you-even-if-i/)

Elizabeth A. Lynn

> [Your idea of fidelity is not having more than one man in bed at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-raphael/your-idea-of-fidelity-is-not-having-more-than-one-man-in-bed-at-the/)

[Frederic Raphael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-raphael/)

## More by Thomas Merton

> [“Let no one hope to find in contemplation an escape from conflict, from anguish or from doubt. On the contrary, the deep, inexpressible certitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/let-no-one-hope-to-find-in-contemplation-an-escape-from-conflict-from/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [If nothing that can be seen can either be God or represent Him to us as He is, then to find God we must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/if-nothing-that-can-be-seen-can-either-be-god-or-represent-him-to-us/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [It is almost impossible to overestimate the value of true humility and its power in the spiritual life. For the beginning of humility is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/it-is-almost-impossible-to-overestimate-the-value-of-true-humility/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [We are not perfectly free until we live in pure hope. For when our hope is pure, it no longer trusts exclusively in human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/we-are-not-perfectly-free-until-we-live-in-pure-hope-for-when-our/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [The desire to kill is like the desire to attack another with an ingot of red -hot iron: I have to pick up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-desire-to-kill-is-like-the-desire-to-attack-another-with-an-ingot/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [To enter into the realm of contemplation one must in a certain sense die: but this death is in fact the entrance to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/to-enter-into-the-realm-of-contemplation-one-must-in-a-certain-sense/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [The mission of Christian humility in social life is not merely to edify, but to keep minds open to many alternatives. The rigidity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-mission-of-christian-humility-in-social-life-is-not-merely-to/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [Peace cannot be built on exclusivism, absolutism, and intolerance. But neither can it be built on vague liberal slogans and pious programs gestated in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/peace-cannot-be-built-on-exclusivism-absolutism-and-intolerance-but/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [Things that are good are good, and if one is responding to that goodness one is in contact with a truth from which one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/things-that-are-good-are-good-and-if-one-is-responding-to-that/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [Love winter when the plant says nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/love-winter-when-the-plant-says-nothing/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [The logic of worldly success rests on a fallacy: the strange error that our perfection depends on the thoughts and opinions and applause of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-logic-of-worldly-success-rests-on-a-fallacy-the-strange-error/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [“The wisdom of the flesh is a judgement that the ordinary ends of our natural appetites are the goods to which the whole of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-wisdom-of-the-flesh-is-a-judgement-that-the-ordinary-ends-of-our/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [I will no longer wound myself with the thoughts and questions that have surrounded me like thorns: that is a penance You do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/i-will-no-longer-wound-myself-with-the-thoughts-and-questions-that/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [If you write for God you will reach many men and bring them joy. If you write for men--you may make some money and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/if-you-write-for-god-you-will-reach-many-men-and-bring-them-joy-if/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [“Contemplation means rest, suspension of activity, withdrawal into the mysterious interior solitude in which the soul is absorbed in the immense and fruitful silence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/contemplation-means-rest-suspension-of-activity-withdrawal-into-the/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

[Explore all 851 Thomas Merton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

## 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": "Sincerity must be bought at a price: the humility to recognize our innumerable errors, and fidelity in tirelessly setting them right.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Thomas Merton"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/sincerity-must-be-bought-at-a-price-the-humility-to-recognize-our/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Errors"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/sincerity-must-be-bought-at-a-price-the-humility-to-recognize-our/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a6/thomas-merton-231_errors_sincerity-must-be-bought-at-a-price-the_1192264.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a6/thomas-merton-231_errors_sincerity-must-be-bought-at-a-price-the_1192264.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a6/thomas-merton-231_errors_sincerity-must-be-bought-at-a-price-the_1192264.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Sincerity must be bought at a price: the humility to recognize our innumerable errors, and fidelity in…” — Thomas Merton",
                "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": "Thomas Merton",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Sincerity must be bought at a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/sincerity-must-be-bought-at-a-price-the-humility-to-recognize-our/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/sincerity-must-be-bought-at-a-price-the-humility-to-recognize-our/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
