Meaning & Analysis
The proverb means that every fault or wrongdoing is, at its core, an act of foolishness or lack of good sense.
Insights
Inherent Irrationality
Asserts that mistakes and faults stem from lapses in judgment, reasoning, or prudence—whenever a person errs, some form of folly or imprudence is involved.
Unwise Nature of Wrongdoing
Suggests that all faults are avoidable if wisdom or foresight is applied; wrongdoing is thus aligned with foolishness, not just moral weakness.
Moral and Intellectual Connection
The proverb bridges the moral and the intellectual, implying that error is not only a moral lapse but also a failure of reason, aligning virtue with wisdom.
Educational Implication
Historically, such proverbs encouraged both ethical conduct and the cultivation of wisdom or prudence, suggesting that moral improvement is also an intellectual endeavor.
Universal Relevance
The observation is broadly applicable across cultures and eras, explaining human error as a product of folly, whether through ignorance, carelessness, or lack of self-control.
Rhetorical Devices
Generalization
The phrase’s universal language ('in every fault') gives it broad authority and applicability.
Ellipsis
Its brevity and lack of specification allow the listener to supply examples from their own experience, making the proverb versatile.
Paradox
Equates fault (often thought of as moral) with folly (an intellectual or rational failing), thus joining two domains of error in a single assertion.
Transcription
Quotations
Related Proverbs
Original Scan

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