Better to go wrong your own way than right in someone else's.

What it means

Razumikhin argues that you reach truth only through your own mistakes. Borrowed correctness makes you a parrot. Think for yourself even if you stumble.

The source

"Better to go wrong your own way than right in someone else's." Fyodor Dostoevsky said it in Crime and Punishment, Part 3, ch. 1. Translated by Constance Garnett, 1914.

"To go wrong in one’s own way is better than to go right in someone else’s."

Constance Garnett, 1914, Crime and Punishment, Part 3, ch. 1. Text read at gutenberg.org.

Who said it

Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821–1881). Russian novelist who survived a mock execution and Siberian prison camp. He wrote Crime and Punishment, The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov.

Questions

What does "Better to go wrong your own way than right in someone else's." mean?

Razumikhin argues that you reach truth only through your own mistakes. Borrowed correctness makes you a parrot. Think for yourself even if you stumble.

Who said "Better to go wrong your own way than right in someone else's."?

Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821–1881). Source: Crime and Punishment, Part 3, ch. 1.

What is the original wording?

To go wrong in one’s own way is better than to go right in someone else’s (Constance Garnett, 1914). Translated by Constance Garnett, 1914.

Is "Better to go wrong your own way than right in someone else's." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"Better to go wrong your own way than right in someone else's." (Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment, Part 3, ch. 1, trans. Constance Garnett, 1914). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/better-to-go-wrong-your-own-way-than