In every FAULT there is folly

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.

follyfaultwisdomjudgmentmoralityuniversal
Analyzed with gpt-4.1 on July 12, 2025

Transcription

Quotations

1659, HOW., Br. Prov., p. 34.

Original Scan

In every FAULT there is folly - a scanned entry from Tilley's 1950 Dictionary of Proverbs.
Scan courtesy of HathiTrust Digital Library.
Used under CC BY-NC 3.0.

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Last updated: January 27, 2026