Epictetus · c. 50 – c. 135 CE
Fragments 4 — Epictetus
Translation by George Long (1877)
Epictetus, Fragments 4
It is better to do wrong seldom and to own it, and to act right for the most part, than seldom to admit that you have done wrong and to do wrong often.
Cite this passage
Epictetus, Fragments 4, tr. George Long (1877)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/epictetus-fragments/4
Epictetus, Enchiridion and Fragments, tr. George Long (1877). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesIt is better to be someone who rarely does wrong and owns up to it than someone who rarely admits fault and does wrong often, so honest acknowledgement of mistakes matters more than keeping up a clean image.
Themes and situations
- Virtue and character
- Justice and fairness
- Pride and humility
- Learning and progress
- Failure and mistakes
- An ethical dilemma
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