Better to trust the man who is frequently in error than the one who is never in doubt.

Sevareid contrasts fallible honesty with inflexible certainty. Someone “frequently in error” is at least engaged in inquiry—testing judgments, revising views, and admitting mistakes—traits associated with intellectual humility and good-faith reasoning. By contrast, the person “never in doubt” suggests dogmatism: a closed mind that treats opinions as unquestionable, which can be more dangerous than ordinary error because it resists correction. The line functions as a defense of skepticism and self-critique, implying that trustworthy judgment is not the absence of mistakes but the presence of doubt, openness, and willingness to change when evidence demands it.