What does "c'est avoir tort, que d'avoir raison trop tôt" translate to in english?

Answer 1

c'est avoir tort, que d'avoir raison trop tôt =

it is to be wrong, that to be right too early


**** according to how you spelled it I used this site to translate http://www.free-translator.com/ and that's what it gave me in english.

Answer 2

This quote is absolutely correct as it is, it's from Marguerite Yourcenar, a French writer of the 20th century (she was the first woman to be elected at the "Académie Française", if you have the slightest idea of was this institution is...).

The translation would be "being right too early is being wrong", meaning that new or revolutionnary ideas about culture, science or any kind of intellectual life are usually despised when they're exposed.

Good examples would be the earth revolving around the sun, or gender equality.

There might be an equivalent idomatic expression in English, I would be happy to hear about it.

Answer 3

Something like 'It's wrong to be right too easily'
or you may be missing words in the first part; c'est meilleur d'avoir tort, que..... would mean 'it's better to be wrong, than....'

Answer 4

You might be missing a word. As it stands, that says "it is to be wrong, than to be right too soon." Maybe the word better or preferable should be in there as the third word.

Answer 5

You may be getting it wrong, being right too early