Silver_Swift comments on Rationality Quotes Thread May 2015 - Less Wrong

9 Post author: Vaniver 01 May 2015 02:31PM

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Comment author: Gunnar_Zarncke 25 May 2015 07:44:28AM 5 points [-]

“Only a fool learns from his own mistakes. The wise man learns from the mistakes of others.”

-- Otto von Bismarck

The German original is somewhat stronger:

"Ihr seid alle Idioten zu glauben, aus Eurer Erfahrung etwas lernen zu können, ich ziehe es vor, aus den Fehlern anderer zu lernen, um eigene Fehler zu vermeiden."

Comment author: Silver_Swift 26 May 2015 11:59:56AM 3 points [-]

I prefer the English translation, it's more direct, though it does lack the bit about avoiding your own mistakes.

A more literal translation for those that don't speak German:

Those that attempt to learn from their mistakes are idiots. I always try to learn from the mistakes of others and avoid making any myself.

Note: I'm not a German speaker, what I know of the language is from three years of high school classes taken over a decade ago, but I think this translation is more or less correct.

Comment author: ChristianKl 26 May 2015 07:15:38PM 3 points [-]

It's not exactly the quote.

Bismark doesn't speak about people who attempt to learn but who believe they learn.

Comment author: Silver_Swift 29 May 2015 09:05:32AM 0 points [-]

I stand corrected, thank you.