Who said “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is…”?

Misattributed

Not Plato. It's commonly credited to them, but the evidence shows it isn't theirs.

What the research foundListed as misattributed to Plato; no source in their known works.

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

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“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”
— Plato
MisattributedListed as misattributed to Plato; no source in their known works. · evidenceForgiveness

Cite this quote

APA

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” [Quotation attributed to Plato]. (n.d.). Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/5454-we-can-easily-forgive-a-child-who-is/

MLA

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” Attributed to Plato. Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/5454-we-can-easily-forgive-a-child-who-is/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” Attributed to Plato. Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/5454-we-can-easily-forgive-a-child-who-is/.

Related quotes

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”
— Mahatma Gandhi
Verified"Interview to the Press" in Karachi about the execution of Bhagat Singh (23 March 1931); published in Young India (2 April 1931), reprinted in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi Online Vol. 51. · evidenceDetails & citeForgiveness

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