"To err is human also in so far as animals seldom or never err, or at least only the cleverest of them do so"
- Georg C. Lichtenberg
About this Quote
This quote by Georg C. Lichtenberg is a reminder that people are not ideal which errors become part of the human experience. He is recommending that animals, on the other hand, hardly ever make mistakes, and if they do, it is usually just the most smart of them. This suggests that humans are more vulnerable to making mistakes than animals, and that it is a natural part of being human.
The quote likewise suggests that humans have a higher capability for learning from their mistakes than animals do. This is due to the fact that human beings are able to think more deeply and reflect on their mistakes, whereas animals might not be able to do this. This recommends that humans have the prospective to grow and establish from their errors, whereas animals might not.
In general, this quote is a suggestion that mistakes become part of being human, which human beings have the capacity to gain from them. It likewise suggests that animals are less prone to making errors, which it is only the most smart of them that do so.
"Often and often afterwards, the beloved Aunt would ask me why I had never told anyone how I was being treated. Children tell little more than animals, for what comes to them they accept as eternally established"
"Certainly it is wrong to be cruel to animals and the destruction of a whole species can be a great evil. The capacity for feelings of pleasure and pain and for the form of life of which animals are capable clearly impose duties of compassion and humanity in their case"