--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Men must fumble awhile with error to…" description: "\"Men must fumble awhile with error to separate it from truth, I think- as long as they don't seize the error hungrily because it has a pleasanter taste...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/walter-m-miller-jr-2-25556_errors_men-must-fumble-awhile-with-error-to-sep_1006217.jpg" --- # Men must fumble awhile with error to separate it from… ![“Men must fumble awhile with error to separate it from truth, I think- as long as they don't seize the error hungrily because it has a pleasanter taste.” quote by Walter M. Miller, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/walter-m-miller-jr-2-25556_errors_men-must-fumble-awhile-with-error-to-sep_1006217.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/walter-m-miller-jr-2-25556_errors_men-must-fumble-awhile-with-error-to-sep_1006217.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/walter-m-miller-jr-2-25556_errors_men-must-fumble-awhile-with-error-to-sep_1006217.jpg) > “Men must fumble awhile with error to separate it from truth, I think- as long as they don't seize the error hungrily because it has a pleasanter taste.” [Walter M. Miller, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-m-miller-jr-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Errors must be examined, not eagerly consumed, to discern truth. **In simple terms:** Question errors, don’t relish them. Key Takeaway Practice critical examination. Themes knowledge error truth learning Mood inquisitive cautious Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - academic research - scientific method - decision making Key Concepts Epistemology critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - How do we avoid glorifying mistakes? - What habits foster truthful analysis? A Different Perspective Human bias can obscure error detection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [I have decided to tell the story of my life as best I can, so that my children can separate the truth from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-brando/i-have-decided-to-tell-the-story-of-my-life-as-best-i-can-so-that-my/) [Marlon Brando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-brando/) > [“Let nothing keep you separate from the truth. The soul, illumined from within, longs to be known for what it is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danna-faulds/let-nothing-keep-you-separate-from-the-truth-the-soul-illumined-from/) Danna Faulds > [What a myth never contains is the critical power to separate its truth from its errors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-a-myth-never-contains-is-the-critical-power-to-separate-its/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Not caring what one thinks of you is a forest, and caring what others thinks of you is wise when you can separate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-bell/not-caring-what-one-thinks-of-you-is-a-forest-and-caring-what-others/) [Linda Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-bell/) > [“We, all of us, must be left alone to make good on our own consciences. And no county magistrate or judge or deacon can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-kent/we-all-of-us-must-be-left-alone-to-make-good-on-our-own-consciences/) [Kathleen Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-kent/) > [It is owing to our limitations that a thing appears to us as single and separate when in truth it is not a separate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-steiner/it-is-owing-to-our-limitations-that-a-thing-appears-to-us-as-single/) [Rudolf Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-steiner/) > [At any rate, cost what it may, to separate ourselves from those who separate themselves from the truth of God is not alone our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/at-any-rate-cost-what-it-may-to-separate-ourselves-from-those-who/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [If you fumble, you can't play. I know that, man - ever since pee wee. If you're fumbling, you're not going to play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ingram-ii/if-you-fumble-you-can-t-play-i-know-that-man-ever-since-pee-wee-if/) [Mark Ingram II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ingram-ii/) > [Gentlemen, it is better to have died as a small boy than to fumble this football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-heisman/gentlemen-it-is-better-to-have-died-as-a-small-boy-than-to-fumble/) [John Heisman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-heisman/) > [Like I always say, it's not how many great plays you make; it's how few bad ones you make. I know fans, and even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-johnson/like-i-always-say-it-s-not-how-many-great-plays-you-make-it-s-how-few/) [Jimmy Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-johnson/) > [I'm pretty sure I probably will fumble again in my life. I don't want to, but you want to try to do everything possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saquon-barkley/i-m-pretty-sure-i-probably-will-fumble-again-in-my-life-i-don-t-want/) [Saquon Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saquon-barkley/) > [Thankfully we had a big drive there in the fourth quarter after the fumble to put us up 11, and then the big drive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rodgers/thankfully-we-had-a-big-drive-there-in-the-fourth-quarter-after-the/) [Aaron Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rodgers/) > [When you shoot for a film, mistakes become very easy to manage. If you fumble, a retake can mend it all. You always have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raza-murad/when-you-shoot-for-a-film-mistakes-become-very-easy-to-manage-if-you/) [Raza Murad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raza-murad/) > [I fumble your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teady/i-fumble-your-heart/) $Teady > [The five big mistakes in football are the fumble, the interception, the penalty, the badly called play, the blocked punt—and most of these originate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-hayes/the-five-big-mistakes-in-football-are-the-fumble-the-interception-the/) [Woody Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-hayes/) ## More by Walter M. Miller, Jr > [The wild black scavengers of the skies laid their eggs in season and lovingly fed their young. They soared high over prairies and mountains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-m-miller-jr-2/the-wild-black-scavengers-of-the-skies-laid-their-eggs-in-season-and/) [Walter M. Miller, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-m-miller-jr-2/) > […to abuse the intellect for reasons of pride, vanity, or escape from responsibility, is the fruit of that same tree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-m-miller-jr-2/to-abuse-the-intellect-for-reasons-of-pride-vanity-or-escape-from/) [Walter M. Miller, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-m-miller-jr-2/) > [Because a doubt is not a denial. Doubt is a powerful tool, and it should be applied to history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-m-miller-jr-2/because-a-doubt-is-not-a-denial-doubt-is-a-powerful-tool-and-it/) [Walter M. Miller, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-m-miller-jr-2/) > [The trouble with being a priest was that you eventually had to take the advice you gave to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-m-miller-jr-2/the-trouble-with-being-a-priest-was-that-you-eventually-had-to-take/) [Walter M. Miller, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-m-miller-jr-2/) > [The captain looked defensive. "You regard our customs as primitive?"Every society to its own tastes, captain. The wisdom of one society would be folly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-m-miller-jr-2/the-captain-looked-defensive-you-regard-our-customs-as-primitive/) [Walter M. Miller, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-m-miller-jr-2/) > [What's to be believed? Or does it matter at all? When mass murder's been answered with mass murder, rape with rape, hate with hate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-m-miller-jr-2/what-s-to-be-believed-or-does-it-matter-at-all-when-mass-murder-s-2/) [Walter M. Miller, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-m-miller-jr-2/) > [That's where all of us are standing now, he thought. On the fat kindling of past sins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-m-miller-jr-2/that-s-where-all-of-us-are-standing-now-he-thought-on-the-fat-2/) [Walter M. Miller, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-m-miller-jr-2/) > [It is said that water is for cattle and farmers, that milk is for children and blood for men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-m-miller-jr-2/it-is-said-that-water-is-for-cattle-and-farmers-that-milk-is-for/) [Walter M. Miller, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-m-miller-jr-2/) > [But neither infinite power nor infinite wisdom could bestow godhood upon men. For that there would have to be infinite love as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-m-miller-jr-2/but-neither-infinite-power-nor-infinite-wisdom-could-bestow-godhood/) [Walter M. Miller, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-m-miller-jr-2/) > [Ask for an omen, then stone it when it comes -- de essentia hominum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-m-miller-jr-2/ask-for-an-omen-then-stone-it-when-it-comes-de-essentia-hominum/) [Walter M. Miller, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-m-miller-jr-2/) > [One should be embarrassed to speak of God in the third person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-m-miller-jr-2/one-should-be-embarrassed-to-speak-of-god-in-the-third-person/) [Walter M. Miller, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-m-miller-jr-2/) > [Soon the sun will set'- is that prophecy? No, it's merely an assertion of faith in the consistency of events.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-m-miller-jr-2/soon-the-sun-will-set-is-that-prophecy-no-it-s-merely-an-assertion-of/) [Walter M. Miller, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-m-miller-jr-2/) > [Listen, my dear Cors, why don't you forgive God for allowing pain? If He didn't allow it, human courage, bravery, nobility, and self-sacrifice would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-m-miller-jr-2/listen-my-dear-cors-why-don-t-you-forgive-god-for-allowing-pain-if-he/) [Walter M. Miller, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-m-miller-jr-2/) > [I'm not so sure he's mad, Father. Just a little devious in his sanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-m-miller-jr-2/i-m-not-so-sure-he-s-mad-father-just-a-little-devious-in-his-sanity/) [Walter M. Miller, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-m-miller-jr-2/) > [When Holy Church occasionally hinted that she still considered her authority to be supreme over all nations and superior to the authority of states,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-m-miller-jr-2/when-holy-church-occasionally-hinted-that-she-still-considered-her/) [Walter M. Miller, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-m-miller-jr-2/) [Explore all 23 Walter M. Miller, Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-m-miller-jr-2/) ## 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": "Men must fumble awhile with error to separate it from truth, I think- as long as they don't seize the error hungrily because it has a pleasanter taste.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Walter M. 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