Full Idea
The man who mistakes a tetrad for a pentad is not as erroneous as he who takes it for a chiliad. But then, if they are not equally erroneous, this can only mean that one has less, and so one more, of the truth.
Clarification
'Tetrad', 'petrad', and 'chiliad' are various combinations of numbers
Gist of Idea
If one error is worse than another, it must be because it is further from the truth
Source
Aristotle (Metaphysics [c.324 BCE], 1008b32)
Book Reference
Aristotle: 'Metaphysics', ed/tr. Lawson-Tancred,Hugh [Penguin 1998], p.97
Related Idea
Idea 22317 Truth does not admit of more and less [Frege]