to err is human

to err is human (to forgive is divine)

proverb Being fallible and making mistakes is inherent to being a human, and forgiving such mistakes is a transcendent act. I know you're mad at your brother because he lied, but to err is human, you know. To forgive is divine.
See also: err, forgive, human
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

To err is human(, to forgive divine).

Prov. You should not be too harsh with someone who makes a mistake, because all human beings make mistakes. (Often used as a roundabout way to ask someone to forgive you for making a mistake.) Jill: How could you let my dog get out when I told you a hundred times that he should stay in the house! Ellen: To err is human, to forgive divine.
See also: err, human
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

to err is human

People say to err is human to mean that it is natural for human beings to make mistakes. To err is human, and nobody likes a perfect person. Note: People sometimes use the whole expression to err is human, to forgive divine to mean that it is a very good thing to be able to forgive someone who does something wrong. Everyone admires her behaviour — after all, to err is human, to forgive divine. Note: This expression comes from an essay by Alexander Pope.
See also: err, human
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
See also:
  • divine
  • to err is human (to forgive is divine)
  • to err is human, to forgive divine
  • if you don't make mistakes, you don't make anything
  • pride comes before a fall
  • pride comes before a/the fall
  • pride cometh before a/the fall
  • goeth
  • do as I say
  • do as I say, not as I do
References in periodicals archive
Nevertheless he is after all a human being and not an angel, and to err is human. In the end, it may all be an honest oversight.
No holy cows for Pakistan
"To err is human." The second part of that Alexander Pope quotation is, of course, "to forgive, divine".
You may be able to forgive some things. Your partner - sober and sat at their laptop in the middle of the day - trying to chat up the internet? That might be a bit harder
To err is human but to err while driving is criminal.
To err while driving is criminal
The poet Alexander Pope said, "To err is human; to forgive, divine." Well, I recently "erred" in a considerable way.
Mea Culpa
To err is human, yet many individuals find it hard to imagine that their beliefs could be mistaken and react to their errors with surprise, denial, defensiveness, and shame.
Being Wrong
You've all heard the adage, "To err is human, to forgive divine." I know one thing--that sidewalk wasn't very forgiving.
Why I'm typing with one hand and a thumb
A mistake was made, to err is human, but their effort to rectify the mistake is pathetic.
Hassle over a perfume
A quote suddenly comes to mind, "To err is human, to forgive is divine." I have forgiven but will not soon forget.
We're still open for business
To Err Is Human: A Collection of Forgiveness Readings
To Err Is Human: A Collection of Forgiveness Readings
Having just read "To Err Is Human" (SN: 8/14/04, p.
On the err
To err is human. Don't make excuses for your behavior, stand up and admit you made the mistake, take whatever punishment the chain deems necessary and move on.
Leadership and responsibility
Several years ago, IOM's "To Err Is Human" report drew national and international attention to deaths caused by medical errors.
Providers should adopt EMRs
The Institute of Medicine study, To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System, estimated that as many as 98,000 people die annually from medical errors that occur in hospitals.
Letters
Was it Shakespeare or Secretariat who said, "To err is human." And it is absolutely possible to come prepared to play, but fail to do so.
Michael Jordan
If to err is human, then Popper's philosophy may be regarded as perhaps the most thoroughgoing attempt to humanize the learning process, for he regards all learning as trial and error.
Karl Popper: philosopher of critical realism