A mistake you don't fix: that's the real mistake.
Confucius, Analects 15.29
What it means
Everyone gets things wrong. The real failure is leaving the error in place once you have seen it. Admit it, correct it and move on.
The source
"A mistake you don't fix: that's the real mistake." Confucius said it in Analects 15.29. Translated from the original Chinese by Spartan Surfers.
"過而不改，是謂過矣。"Original Chinese, Analects 15.29. Text read at zh.wikisource.org.
Who said it
Confucius (551-479 BC). Teacher from the state of Lu whose conversations, collected by his students as the Analects, shaped two thousand years of Chinese ethics. He taught that character is built through learning, ritual and honest self-examination.
Questions
- What does "A mistake you don't fix: that's the real mistake." mean?
- Everyone gets things wrong. The real failure is leaving the error in place once you have seen it. Admit it, correct it and move on.
- Who said "A mistake you don't fix: that's the real mistake."?
- Confucius (551-479 BC). Source: Analects 15.29.
- What is the original Chinese?
- 過而不改，是謂過矣。. Translated from the original Chinese by Spartan Surfers.
- Is "A mistake you don't fix: that's the real mistake." on a shirt?
- Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.
Cite this line
"A mistake you don't fix: that's the real mistake." (Confucius, Analects 15.29, translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/a-mistake-you-dont-fix-thats-the-real
Filed under Quotes about character.
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More from Confucius
- Know what you know. Admit what you don't. That is knowing.Analects 2.17
- Learning without thinking is lost. Thinking without learning is dangerous.Analects 2.15
- To see what's right and not do it is a lack of courage.Analects 2.24
- Hear the Way in the morning and you could die content that night.Analects 4.8
- See someone better, aim to match them. See someone worse, look inward.Analects 4.17
- Slow to speak. Quick to act.Analects 4.24